Pontifical Secret - Matters Covered By Pontifical Secrecy

Matters Covered By Pontifical Secrecy

The instruction Secreta continere lists ten classes of matters covered by the pontifical secret:

  1. Preparation of papal documents, if pontifical secrecy is expressly demanded
  2. Information obtained officially by the Secretariat of State in connection with questions requiring pontifical secrecy
  3. Notifications sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith about teachings and publications and the Congregation's examination of them.
  4. Extrajudicial denunciations of crimes against the faith and morals or against the sacrament of Penance, while safeguarding the right of the person denounced to be informed of the denunciation, if his defence against it makes this necessary. The name of the person making the denunciation may be made known to him only if it is judged necessary to have a face-to-face confrontation between denouncer and denounced.
  5. Reports by papal legates on matters covered by pontifical secrecy.
  6. Information obtained officially with regard to the naming of cardinals
  7. Information obtained officially with regard to the naming of bishops and papal legates and the relative inquiries.
  8. Information obtained officially with regard to the naming of the chief officers of the Roman Curia.
  9. All matters concerning cipher systems and enciphered messages.
  10. Any matter that the Pope, a Cardinal in charge of a department of the Roman Curia, or a papal legate considers to be of such importance that it requires the protection of papal secrecy.

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