Pastor bonus

The competence of the Apostolic Penitentiary regards the internal forum and indulgences.

For the internal forum, whether sacramental or non-sacramental, it grants absolutions, dispensations, commutations, validations, condonations, and other favours.

The Apostolic Penitentiary sees to it that in the patriarchal basilicas of Rome there be a sufficient number of penitentiaries supplied with the appropriate faculties.

This dicastery is charged with the granting and use of indulgences, without prejudice to the right of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to review what concerns dogmatic teaching about them.

The Apostolic Signatura functions as the supreme tribunal and also ensures that justice in the Church is correctly administered.

This Tribunal adjudicates: 1. complaints of nullity and petitions for total reinstatement against sentences of the Roman Rota; 2. in cases concerning the status of persons, recourses when the Roman Rota has denied a new examination of the case; 3. exceptions of suspicion and other proceedings against judges of the Roman Rota arising from the exercise of their functions; 4. conflicts of competence between tribunals which are not subject to the same appellate tribunal.

§ 1. The Signatura adjudicates recourses lodged within the peremptory limit of thirty canonical days against singular administrative acts whether issued by the dicasteries of the Roman Curia or approved by them, whenever it is contended that the impugned act violated some law either in the decision-making process or in the procedure used. § 2. In these cases, in addition to the judgement regarding illegality of the act, it can also adjudicate, at the request of the plaintiff, the reparation of damages incurred through the unlawful act. § 3. The Signatura also adjudicates other administrative controversies referred to it by the Roman Pontiff or by dicasteries of the Roman Curia, as well as conflicts of competence between these dicasteries.

The Signatura also has the responsibility: 1. to exercise vigilance over the correct administration of justice, and, if need be, to censure advocates and procurators; 2. to deal with petitions presented to the Apostolic See for obtaining the commission of a case to the Roman Rota or some other favour relative to the administration of justice; 3. to extend the competence of lower tribunals; 4. to grant its approval to tribunals for appeals reserved to the Holy See, and to promote and approve the erection of interdiocesan tribunals.

The Apostolic Signatura is governed by its own law.

The Roman Rota is a court of higher instance at the Apostolic See, usually at the appellate stage, with the purpose of safeguarding rights within the Church; it fosters unity of jurisprudence, and, by virtue of its own decisions, provides assistance to lower tribunals.

The judges of this Tribunal constitute a college. Persons of proven doctrine and experience, they have been selected by the Supreme Pontiff from various parts of the world. The Tribunal is presided over by a dean, likewise appointed by the Supreme Pontiff from among the judges and for a specific term of office.

This Tribunal adjudicates: 1. in second instance, cases that have been decided by ordinary tribunals of first instance and are being referred to the Holy See by legitimate appeal; 2. in third or further instance, cases already decided by the same Apostolic Tribunal and by any other tribunals, unless they have become a res iudicata.

§ 1. The Tribunal, however, judges the following in first instance: 1. bishops in contentious matters, unless it is a question of the rights or temporal goods of a juridical person represented by the bishop; 2. abbots primate or abbots superior of a monastic congregation and supreme moderators of religious institutes of pontifical right; 3. dioceses or other ecclesiastical persons, whether physical or juridical, which have no superior below the Roman Pontiff; 4. cases which the Supreme Pontiff commits to this Tribunal. § 2. It deals with the same cases even in second and further instances, unless other provisions are made.

The Tribunal of the Roman Rota is governed by its own law.