In the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
,
protonotary apostolic (
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
protonotarii apostolicii) is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of
prelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over...
s in the
Roman CuriaThe Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
or, outside of Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the
popeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
has conferred this title and its special privileges.
History
In later antiquity there were in
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
seven regional
notariesCivil-law notaries are specialized lawyers acting as public officers with jurisdiction over voluntary, i.e., non-contentious, private law. Unlike notary publics, their common-law counterparts, they are able to provide legal advice and prepare instruments with legal effect...
, who, on the further development of the papal administration and the accompanying increase of the notaries, remained the supreme palace notaries of the papal chancery (
notarii apostolici or
protonotarii). In the Middle Ages the protonotaries were very high papal officials, and were often raised directly from this office to the
cardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available...
ate. Originally numbering seven,
Pope Sixtus VPope Sixtus V , born Felice Peretti di Montalto, was Pope from 1585 to 1590.-Biography:Felice Peretti was born at Grottammare, in the Papal States, son of Piergentile di Giacomo, nicknamed "Peretto", and Marianna da Frontillo. He took the surname "Peretti" in 1551 and was more generally known as...
(1585-90) increased their number to twelve. Their importance gradually diminished, and at the time of the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
the office had almost entirely disappeared. On 8 February, 1838,
Pope Gregory XVIPope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
re-established the college of real protonotaries with seven members called
protonotarii de numero participantium, also known as
numerary protonotaries, because they shared in the revenues, as officials of the Roman
ChanceryThe Chancery of Apostolic Briefs , is a former office of the Roman Curia, merged into the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs by Pope Pius X on June 29, 1908 with the apostolic constitution Sapienti Consilio...
.
Since the sixteenth century the popes had also appointed honorary protonotaries, who enjoyed the same privileges as the seven real members of the college; and titular prothonotaries, who held a corresponding position in the administration of the episcopal ordinariate or in the collegiate chapter. By the
motu proprioA motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him.It may be addressed to the whole Church, to part of it, or to some individuals....
Inter multiplices of 21 February, 1905,
Pope Pius XPope St. Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 258th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII . He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X codified Catholic doctrines to inspire conformity in the church and rejected...
defined the position of the protonotaries: privileges, dress, and insignia of the members of the four classes:
- the protonotarii apostolici de numero participantium, members 'within the number' of the college of prelates, who exercised their office in connection with the acts of consistories and canonizations, had a representative in the Congregation of the Propaganda, and, according to the reorganization of the Curia by the Constitution "Sapienti consilio" of 29 June, 1908, signed the papal Bulls instead of the earlier abbreviatores. They enjoyed the use of pontificals and numerous privileges, and also, after examining the candidates, named annually a fixed number of doctors of theology and of canon law;
- the protonotarii apostolici supranumerarii, a dignity to which only the canons of the four Roman patriarchal basilica majors (the Lateran, St. Peter's, and St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls), and of cathedral chapters outside of Rome to which the privilege had been granted, could be raised;
- the protonotarii apostolici ad instar (sc. participantium), who were appointed by the pope and had the same external insignia as the real prothonotaries;
- the protonotarii titulares seu honorarii, who were found outside of Rome, and who received this dignity from the nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church....
s or as a special privilege.
Present practice
Since 1969 (following
Pope Paul VIPope Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
's issuing of two motu proprios,
Pontificalis Domus of March 28, 1968 and
Pontificalia Insignia of June 21, 1968) these classes are reduced to two:
- Apostolic protonotaries de numero — who continue the work of the College of Protonotaries and still have certain duties with regard to papal documents; they may be addressed formally as "Most Reverend Sir or Monsignor (in Italian: Reverendissimo Signore, Monsignore)," and they may wear the mantelletta
A mantelletta, Italian diminutive of Latin mantellum 'mantle', is a sleeveless, knee-length, vest-like garment, open in front, with slits instead of sleeves on the sides, fastened at the neck, once even more common than the mozzetta.-History:...
, the purple choir cassock and rochetA rochet is a vestment generally worn by a Roman Catholic or Anglican Bishop in choir dress. It is unknown in the Eastern Churches. The rochet is similar to a surplice, except that the sleeves are narrower...
for liturgical services, the black cassockThe cassock, an item of clerical clothing, is a long, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, and some clerics of the Reformed, and Lutheran churches...
with red piping and purple sashA sash is a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and is usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, obi, serves to hold a kimono or yukata together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist...
at other times, and may add the purple ferraiuolo and the birettaThe biretta is a square cap with three or four ridges or peaks, sometimes surmounted by a tuft, traditionally worn by Roman Catholic clergy and some Anglican and Lutheran clergy...
with red tuft to the black cassock for formal ceremonies of a non-liturgical nature (e.g., a graduation).
- Apostolic protonotaries supernumerary — The title is awarded to priests by the pope
The pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
, however the title is purely honorary and is not attached to any duties in the Curia — this is the type of protonotary found outside of Rome, and it is considered the highest grade of monsignorMonsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
found in most dioceses. Priests so honored are addressed as "reverend monsignor", may put the post-nominal lettersPost-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials or post-nominal titles, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of post-nominal letters...
"P.A." after their names, may wear the purple choir cassock (with surplice) for liturgical services, the black cassock with red piping and purple sash at other times, and may add the purple ferraiuolo to this for formal non-liturgical ceremonies, but use none of the other accoutrements mentioned above.
Before 1969, all protonotaries were entitled to limited use of pontificals (the insignia or 'regalia' proper to bishops —
mitreThe mitre , from the Greek μίτρα, 'headband' or 'turban', is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the...
, finger ring,
episcopal glovesThe Episcopal gloves or Pontifical gloves are a Roman Catholic pontifical vestment worn a by bishop when celebrating Solemn Pontifical Mass. The Episcopal gloves are worn from the beginning of the Mass until the offertory, when they are removed...
,
pectoral crossA pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain. Most pectoral crosses are made of precious metals and some contain precious or semi-precious gems...
and buskins footwear). This privilege has since been abolished.