Briefs
Apostolic Exhortations
Apostolic Constitutions
Apostolic Letters
Motu Proprios
Prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), more commonly known as Vatican II, the type of papal document the pope chose determined how much authority he intended to exercise. (See Chapter 10 for more on Vatican II.) The preceding list indicates the order of authority that various papal documents traditionally had. For example, the lowest level was the Motu Proprio, which is a Latin phrase meaning “of his own initiative.” Somewhat like an international memo, it’s a short papal letter granting a dispensation or making a modification applying to the whole world but on a disciplinary matter only, such as an issue that has nothing to do with doctrine. An example of Motu Proprio was when St. John Paul II granted permission to celebrate the Tridentine Mass (the order and structure of the Mass as it was celebrated between the Council of Trent and Vatican II). On the other hand, Papal Bulls were considered the highest authority.
Since Vatican II, however, the content and context of the document determine the degree of authority and not just the type of papal document. If the pope intends to definitively teach the universal Church on a matter of faith or morals, then he is expressing his supreme authority as head of the Church. When St. John Paul II issued his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis in 1994, he officially declared that the Catholic Church has no power to ordain women. (See Chapter 14 for more on the role of women in the Church.) Ordinatio Sacerdotalis was not an ex cathedra papal statement, but it’s part of the Ordinary Magisterium, and thus, according to the Prefect for the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the teaching is infallible. The Cardinal Prefect is the pope’s watchdog to investigate all suspected cases of heresy (false teaching) and to explain official church dogma.
Papal encyclicals are letters addressed to the world on contemporary issues and concerns. Encyclical comes from the Latin word for “circular,” because these documents are meant to circulate around the world. The name of each letter consists of the first two words of the letter in Latin, because every official document coming from the Vatican is still written in Latin. Encyclicals aren’t ex cathedra pronouncements. Some examples of popes who put encyclicals to good use include the following:
Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum in 1891, which discusses capital and labor. It defends private property and business, as well as the right of workers to form trade unions and guilds.
St. Paul VI presented the Church’s teaching on abortion and artificial contraception in Humanae Vitae in 1968. It’s not an ex cathedra statement, but Humanae Vitae is a part of the constant, consistent, and universal teachings of the popes and bishops over the ages. (For more about the church’s stand on artificial contraception, as well as other sticky issues, turn to Chapter 14.)
St. John Paul II wrote Laborem Exercens in 1981 on human work; Veritatis Splendor in 1993 on the Natural Moral Law; Evangelium Vitae in 1995 on the dignity, sanctity, and inviolability of human life and the things that threaten it, such as abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty; and Fides et Ratio in 1998 on the compatibility of faith and reason.
Benedict XVI’s first encyclical was Deus Caritas Est (2005) on the biblical passage that “God is Love.” It explains that divine love and human love are based on the same premise: All love must be both “give and take,” sacrificial and possessive.
Francis’s first encyclical was Lumen Fidei (2013) on the Light of Faith. It was begun by Benedict XVI but finished by Francis and completes the trilogy of the three supernatural virtues, Faith, Hope, and Love, the last two having been previously done by Benedict XVI.
Encyclicals are the routine, day-to-day, consistent teaching of the Ordinary Magisterium, which is equally infallible when it concerns faith and morals and reiterates the constant, consistent, and universal teaching of the popes and bishops. Their content requires religious submission of mind and will of faithful Catholics around the world. So-called dissent from papal teaching in encyclicals isn’t part of Catholic belief. The Catholic faithful willfully conform to papal teaching and don’t dispute it.
Now that’s job security
Popes are elected for life unless they voluntarily — without pressure or coercion — resign from office. (Pope Pontian was the first one to abdicate from the office in A.d. 235. Pope St. Peter Celestine V was the most famous to resign, going back to monastic life in 1294. Pope Benedict XVI was the last to resign in 2013.) No one can depose a pope even if he becomes insane, sick, or corrupt. No ecumenical council has the authority to remove him from office. So when a bad pope gets in (and from time to time, a bad pope has been elected), the only course of action is to pray to St. Joseph for a happy death of the pope in question. (St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death, because he probably died of natural causes in the arms of Mary and Jesus.)
Although even one bad pope is one too many, Jesus picked 12 imperfect sinners as His Apostles. The first pope, St. Peter, weakened and denied Christ three times, and Judas, one of the first bishops, betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver. One repented; the other hanged himself instead of seeking mercy.
This is our two cents’ worth: Of the 266 popes in history, only a dozen were real scoundrels and caused great scandal. Seventy-eight popes are recognized as holy saints (see Chapter 18), leaving 176 pretty good, all right guys. Better stats than for presidents, prime ministers, or monarchs around the world.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
Catholicism regards St. Peter as the first pope, handpicked by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the Gospel of St. Matthew (16:18), when Jesus said, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.” If you count St. Peter as the first pope, then Francis is the 266th pope or the 265th successor of St. Peter, depending on where you begin. And you thought that memorizing the names of all the world leaders was hard when you were 10 years old?
Probably the worst pope ever, Alexander VI (1492–1503) was a Borgia. The name is infamous; the Borgias were a notorious yet influential Italian family during the Renaissance when no unified Kingdom of Italy existed — only small principalities, dukedoms, and city-states. Pope Alexander VI had several illegitimate children before and during his reign as pope, two of whom are noteworthy: Cesare Borgia and his sister Lucrezia Borgia. Cesare grew up to be a ruthless autocrat, and Lucrezia is reputed to have been the most famous poisoner. Alexander VI is the epitome of nepotism, bribery, deceit, debauchery, and anything else you can imagine. The Borgias were the Sopranos of their time. The list of Borgias included 11 cardinals, two popes, a queen of England, and a saint.
And Benedict IX (1032–1045) was a close second to the worst pope. Assuming the throne of St. Peter in his late teens or early twenties, this playboy pope incited a riot in Rome because the people were so disgusted with his antics.
Lady pope? Hardly. The so-called Pope Joan never existed except in myth from the 13th to 17th centuries. French Protestant David Blondel (1590–1655) disproved the myth once and for all in a scholarly refutation, but the story is so bizarre that some still believe it despite the lack of any credible
