Ecclesiastical Letter - Letters of The Popes in Modern Times

Letters of The Popes in Modern Times

In the modern period also, papal letters have been constantly issued, but they proceed from the popes themselves less frequently than in the Middle Ages and Christian antiquity; most of them are issued by the papal officials, of whom there is a greater number than in the Middle Ages, and to whom have been granted large delegated powers, which include the issuing of letters. Following the example of Paul III, Pius IV and Pius V, Sixtus V by the Papal Bull "Immensa aeterni" of 22 January 1587, added to the already existing bodies of papal officials a number of congregations of cardinals with clearly defined powers of administration and jurisdiction. Succeeding popes added other congregations.

Pius X in the Constitution "Sapienti consilio" of 29 June 1908, reorganized the papal Curia, papal writings being divided into (Apostolic) Constitutions, (papal) Rescripts, (Papal) Bulls, (Papal) Briefs and Apostolic Letters (Litterae Apostolicae).

1. The Litterae Apostolicae are further divided into Litterae Apostolicae simplices or Brevetti, Chirographa, Encyclicae (Encyclicals) and Motus Proprii. By Litterae Apostolicae simplices are understood all documents drawn up by virtue of papal authorization, and signed with the pope's name but not by the pope personally. Documents signed by the pope personally are called Chirographa. Encyclicals are letters of a more hortatory nature, addressed to all or to a majority of the higher officials of the Church. A Motu Proprio is a document prepared at the personal initiative of the pope, without previous petition to him, and issued with a partial avoidance of the otherwise customary forms of the chancery.
2. By Constitution is understood, as in the Middle Ages, a papal document of general authority; by Rescript, a similar document applicable to an individual case.
3. Bulls and Briefs are distinguished from each other by characteristics of form which have always remained essentially the same.

The papal documents are still deposited in the Roman archives. There are no official collections of them corresponding to the medieval "Corpus Juris Canonici". The last(?) official collection is that of the Constitutions of Benedict XIV (1740–1758). From the sixteenth century, on the other hand, private collections have appeared, some of which are called bullaria, from the more important part of their contents. Many papal letters are also found in the collections of the Acts of the Councils. The documents issued by the officials of the Curia and the Congregations of Cardinals contain either resolutions (decisions) for individual cases, or declarations (extensivae or comprehensivae) interpreting laws, or decrees, which are entirely new laws. Some congregations of cardinals have issued official collections of their decisions.