TheApostolic Penitentiary (Latin:Paenitentiaria Apostolica), formerly called theSupreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is adicastery led by the Major Penitentiary of theRoman Curia and is one of the three ordinarytribunals of theApostolic See. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribunal ofmercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness ofsins in theCatholic Church.
The Apostolic Penitentiary has jurisdiction only over matters in theinternal forum. Its work falls mainly into these categories:
The head of the Apostolic Penitentiary is one of the few Vatican officials who retain their positionssede vacante (the other being theCamerlengo of the Holy Roman Church).[1] If the Major Penitentiary is a cardinal elector he is one of only three persons in the conclave allowed to communicate with those outside the conclave, so that he can continue to fulfill his duties (the other two being theCardinal Vicar ofRome and theVicar General for the Vatican City State).[2] The Major Penitentiary is atitular archbishop and is normally acardinal. Since 6 April 2024, the Major Penitentiary is CardinalAngelo De Donatis. The second-highest-ranking official in the Apostolic Penitentiary, the regent, is bishopKrzysztof Józef Nykiel.
During the Middle Ages, the Apostolic Penitentiary had two major functions. Theofficium minus related to the spiritual care of Christians, and the ability to listen to confessions and absolve sins of grave nature, whose absolving was reserved to the Pope. Theofficium maius related to the power to grant grace to those who petitioned the Pope in relation to: (1) absolution for breaking the regulations of canon law; (2) dispensations to act against Church regulations; (3) licenses not to observe ecclesiastical norms regarding the exercise of the Catholic faith; and (4) official declarations. The Penitentiary developed around the 12th century, with its powers gradually increasing and being expanded by subsequent popes.[3]
Normally confessions ofsins are handled at the local level by priests and their bishops and are not heard by the tribunal. The work of the Apostolic Penitentiary involves grave sins, such asdefiling the Eucharist, which are reserved to the Holy See. In late 2006, then Major PenitentiaryCardinal Stafford said this offense is occurring with more and more frequency, by ordinary faithful who receive Communion and then spit it out or otherwise desecrate it.[4]
The Apostolic Penitentiary also specifiesactions for which indulgences are granted, either permanently (in theEnchiridion Indulgentiarum),[5] or on special occasions, such as the Year for Priests (19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010), during which a plenaryindulgence is granted, on 19 June 2009, on first Thursdays, on 4 August 2009 (150th anniversary of the death ofJean-Marie Vianney), and on 19 June 2010, to all the faithful who attend Mass, pray for priests toJesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, offer any other good work they do that day, and satisfy the conditions for any plenary indulgence (detachment from all sins, theSacrament of Penance within the last or next couple of weeks, holy communion (Eucharist in the Catholic Church), and praying for the Pope's intentions).[6] There are also adaptations for those unable to go to church, and daily indulgences available only to priests.[citation needed]
In thePapal BullMisericordiae Vultus (Latin: "The Face ofMercy"), Pope Francis decreed that the Church would observe a SpecialJubilee Year of Mercy lasting from theSolemnity of theImmaculate Conception of theBlessed Virgin Mary (aHoly Day of Obligation) on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, until the Solemnity of theFeast of Christ the King of the Universe on the last Sunday beforeAdvent, in November 2016. For this, he allowed certain qualified priests to serve as "Missionaries of Mercy" to each Diocese, with the faculties to absolve even sins that are reserved to the Holy See through the Apostolic Penitentiary. Normally, a priest or even a bishop would not be able to do this unless the person was in danger of imminent death. The Pope has the power, as the earthly absolute sovereign of the Catholic Church, to make this special change for the year.[7][8][9][10]
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Benedetto Ojetti (1913). "Roman Curia". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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