Motu proprio

The motu proprio of February 19, 1506, with which Pope Julius II appointed Demetrio Damilas to write Greek books in the papal library. Città del Vaticano, Archivio Segreto Vaticano, Cam. Ap., Div. Cam. 57, fol. 225r

A motu proprio [ ˌmotuˈprɔprio ] (also Motuproprio , plural Motuproprios; from Latin motu proprio , of one's own motivation or drive; instigated by oneself ) is an apostolic letter from the Pope , which was issued without a formal request from others and from the Pope personally and not from one of its cardinals, official bodies or other advisors. In most cases these are the announcement of canon law or administrative decisions, small changes in canon law or the granting of privileges. Usually a motu proprio is a decree that has not been given a seal (cf. papal bull ) and has not been countersigned. The first apostolic letter in the form of a motu proprio was promulgated by Pope Innocent VIII in 1484 .

A motu proprio begins by stating the reason for which it was composed. The description of the change in the law or the granting of privileges follows. The document is signed by the Pope himself. The text will then be published. It is valid even if it does not conform to the current Codex iuris canonici or previous papal decisions.

Some motu proprio of modernity

November 22nd, 1903: Pope Pius X .: Tra le sollecitudini on church music
November 18, 1907: Pope Pius X .: Praestantia Scripturae , on the decisions of the papal commission on the Bible and the penalties against those who do not heed the statements against the errors of the modernists
May 9, 1969: Pascalis mysterii : reorganization of the liturgical calendar and the veneration of saints
August 15, 1972: Pope Paul VI. : Ministeria quaedam , on the suspension of the administration of some minor orders
July 7, 2007: Pope Benedict XVI. : Summorum Pontificum , on the use of the extraordinary form of the Roman rite
October 11, 2011: Pope Benedict XVI .: Porta fidei , to proclaim the year of faith 2012/2013
February 22, 2013: Pope Benedict XVI .: Normas nonnullas , on some changes to the norms regarding the election of the Pope
July 11, 2013: Pope Francis : On the jurisdiction of the judicial organs of the Vatican City State in the field of criminal law
February 24, 2014: Pope Francis: Fidelis dispensator et prudens , on the establishment of a new coordinating body for the economic and administrative affairs of the Holy See and the State of Vatican City
September 8, 2015: Pope Francis: Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus , on the reform of the canonical procedure for declarations of marriage nullity in the Code of Canon Law.

Web links

Wiktionary: Motu proprio - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations