Apostolic Constitution - Examples of Apostolic Constitutions

Examples of Apostolic Constitutions

16th Century

• Quo primum (1570) Pius V's Apostolic Constitution on the Tridentine Mass

19th Century

• Ineffabilis Deus (1854) Pius IX's Dogmatic Constitution on the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
• Ad Universalis Ecclesiae (1862) Pius IX's Papal Constitution dealing with the conditions for admission to religious orders of men in which solemn vows are prescribed
• Romanos Pontifices (1881) by Pope Leo XIII

20th Century

• Bis Saeculari (1948), Pope Pius XII on Sodality of Our Lady.
• Munificentissimus Deus (1950) Pope Pius XII's Dogmatic Constitution on the Assumption of Mary.
• Exsul Familia (1952) Pope Pius XII's Constitution on Migration
• Veterum sapientia (1962) Blessed Pope John XXIII's Apostolic Constitution on the promotion of the study of Latin
• Dei Verbum (1965) Pope Paul VI's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.
• Paenitemini (1966) Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution on Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church.
• Missale Romanum (1969) Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution on the revised liturgy
• Romano Pontifici eligendo (1975) Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution on the election of the Roman pontiff
• Ut sit (1982) Blessed Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution raising Opus Dei (Latin for, "The Work Of God") to the rank of a Personal Prelature (sort of like a religious institute)
• Sacrae Disciplinae Leges (1983) Blessed Pope John Paul II's constitution instituting the 1983 Code of Canon Law
• Pastor Bonus (1988) — Blessed Pope John Paul II's rules on the re-organisation of the Roman Curia
• Ex corde ecclesiae (1990) — John Paul II's rules on Catholic universities
• Fidei depositum (1992) Blessed Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution on the new Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Universi Dominici gregis (1996) — Blessed Pope John Paul II's rules on electing the Roman Pontiff (the Pope)

21st Century

• Anglicanorum Coetibus, (2009) - The current Pope Benedict XVI's rules for providing for Personal Ordinariates for Anglican laypeople and clergy wishing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church (this was done because some conservative Anglicans were dissatisfied with the more progressive, liberal direction parts of the Anglican Communion were moving in).