Papal bull
Papal bull or bull is the short name for documents that were drawn up and sealed in the papal chancery in solemn form and announce important acts of the Pope. It is characterized by the replacement of the Salutatio by the formula ad rei memoriam perpetuam ( " the everlasting memory of the thing ").
Description
The official Latin name is litterae Apostolicae or litterae Apostolicae sub Plumbo, which simplifies translated " apostolic letter " means, if one wants to distinguish them from the privileges, briefs or the normal litterae. The bull takes its name from the (lead ) seal (Latin bulla, bolla Italian ), with which the papal documents of the Middle Ages and the early modern period were sealed regularly.
This mix of the older privileges and the litterae been in use since the mid 13th century and especially since the 15th century. From the 20th century papal bulls were issued only very rarely, so at about the enactment of the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici ) 1917 and the convening of a Holy Year. For doctrinal act of the Pope in the form of the encyclical is often employed since 1740 ( circular letter to the bishops ), for acts, the Apostolic Constitution ( approximately Universi Dominici Gregis of John Paul II ), or the Motu proprio.
The name of the bulls is based on the opening words of the harangue.
Each bull starts with: