Universi Dominici Gregis
Encyclopedia
Universi Dominici Gregis is an Apostolic Constitution
of the Catholic Church issued by Pope John Paul II
on February 22, 1996. It superseded Pope Paul VI
's 1975 Apostolic Constitution, Romano Pontifici Eligendo
.
Universi Dominici Gregis ('the Lord's whole flock', from the opening statement 'The Shepherd of the Lord's whole flock is the Bishop of the Church of Rome, ...'), subtitled On the Vacancy of the Apostolic See
and the Election of the Roman Pontiff, deals with the vacancy of the Chair of St Peter and Bishop of Rome
namely the Pope
.
The constitution modified or in some cases confirmed the rules, for the conclave. It also clarified, during a Sede Vacante
, which matters could be handled by the College of Cardinals
and which matters were reserved for the future Pope.
The basic format of Universi Dominici Gregis is as follows:
(between the time of the Pope's death and the Papal conclave), such as what issues can be handled by the College of Cardinals and which ones must be left to the future Pope.
, the Cardinals
have no power in things which pertain to the Pope
during his lifetime or of his office; such matters are for the future Pope
. Any act of jurisdiction pertaining to the Pope
during his lifetime or in the exercise of his office which the Cardinals
might see fit to exercise, beyond the limits expressly permitted by Universi Dominici Gregis is null and void.
, introducing recording equipment, or communicating with a cardinal elector in any way, risks excommunication
. Other penalties are at the discretion of the incoming Pope. Various oaths are also required to be taken by the participants, to ensure that they will act properly.
, per compromissum). Alternatively, formal ballot
s could be discarded: in election by acclamation
(per acclamationem seu inspirationem) the electors simultaneously shouted out the name of their preferred candidate. Both of these methods have now been abolished: the rationale given was that either compromise or acclamation would not require each cardinal to express his preference. Also, these two methods tended to produce controversy
, and in any case neither had been used for quite some time - the last compromise election was of Pope John XXII
in 1316, and the last affirmation (acclamation) election was of Pope Gregory XV
in 1621. As a result, election by secret ballot is now the only valid method of electing a Pope.
, a building with dormitory
type accommodation built within the Vatican City. Previously Cardinals were housed in improvised accommodation which were often noted for not being particularly comfortable.
was the first papal election to be held under this system.
beginning with the words Constitutione Apostolica, subtitled De aliquibus mutationibus in normis de electione romani pontificis which reinstates the traditional norms for the vote required to elect the Pope. Unless changed by a future Pope, a two-thirds vote will be required to elect a new Pope regardless of the number of ballots it takes to elect a new Pope.http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070611_de-electione_lt.html
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
of the Catholic Church issued by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on February 22, 1996. It superseded Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
's 1975 Apostolic Constitution, Romano Pontifici Eligendo
Romano Pontifici Eligendo
Romano Pontifici Eligendo was the Apostolic Constitution governing the election of popes that was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1975. It instituted a number of far-reaching reforms in the process of electing popes.- Ban on cardinals over eighty voting :...
.
Universi Dominici Gregis ('the Lord's whole flock', from the opening statement 'The Shepherd of the Lord's whole flock is the Bishop of the Church of Rome, ...'), subtitled On the Vacancy of the Apostolic See
Apostolic See
In Christianity, an apostolic see is any episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the apostles of Jesus.Out of the many such sees, five acquired special importance in Chalcedonian Christianity and became classified as the Pentarchy in Eastern Orthodox Christianity...
and the Election of the Roman Pontiff, deals with the vacancy of the Chair of St Peter and Bishop of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
namely the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
The constitution modified or in some cases confirmed the rules, for the conclave. It also clarified, during a Sede Vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
, which matters could be handled by the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
and which matters were reserved for the future Pope.
Layout
Universi Dominici Gregis is laid out into 92 numbered paragraphs (though some paragraphs are split into two parts), plus a 14-paragraph introduction and a two-paragraph Promulgation (which are not numbered). Though the text is subdivided into Parts and Chapters, the numbering remains consecutive throughout and is not restarted at a new Part or Chapter.The basic format of Universi Dominici Gregis is as follows:
- Introduction (not labeled as such and paragraphs are not numbered)
- Part One THE VACANCY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE
- Chapter I THE POWERS OF THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS DURING THE VACANCY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE (Paragraphs 1-6)
- Chapter II THE CONGREGATIONS OF THE CARDINALS IN PREPARATION FOR THE ELECTION OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF (Paragraphs 7-13)
- Chapter III CONCERNING CERTAIN OFFICES DURING THE VACANCY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE (Paragraphs 14-23)
- Chapter IV FACULTIES OF THE DICASTERIES OF THE ROMAN CURIA DURING THE VACANCY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE (Paragraphs 24-26)
- Chapter V THE FUNERAL RITES OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF (Paragraphs 27-32)
- Part Two THE ELECTION OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF
- Chapter I THE ELECTORS OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF (Paragraphs 33-40)
- Chapter II THE PLACE OF THE ELECTION AND THOSE ADMITTED TO IT BY REASON OF THEIR OFFICE (Paragraphs 41-48)
- Chapter III THE BEGINNING OF THE ELECTION (Paragraphs 49-54)
- Chapter IV OBSERVANCE OF SECRECY ON ALL MATTERS CONCERNING THE ELECTION (Paragraphs 55-61)
- Chapter V THE ELECTION PROCEDURE (Paragraphs 62-77)
- Chapter VI MATTERS TO BE OBSERVED OR AVOIDED IN THE ELECTION OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF (Paragraphs 78-86)
- Chapter VII THE ACCEPTANCE AND PROCLAMATION OF THE NEW POPE AND THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY (Paragraphs 87-92)
- PROMULGATION (paragraphs are not numbered)
Part One
Part One deals with matters during a Sede VacanteSede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
(between the time of the Pope's death and the Papal conclave), such as what issues can be handled by the College of Cardinals and which ones must be left to the future Pope.
Chapter I
During a Sede VacanteSede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
, the Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
have no power in things which pertain to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
during his lifetime or of his office; such matters are for the future Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. Any act of jurisdiction pertaining to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
during his lifetime or in the exercise of his office which the Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
might see fit to exercise, beyond the limits expressly permitted by Universi Dominici Gregis is null and void.
- CardinalsCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince 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...
must be no more than eighty years of age on the day before the death or resignation of the Pope. - No more than 120 Cardinals may vote.
- A Pope shall be elected by a vote of two-thirds until a total of 33 or 34 votes have taken place.
- Maximum of two votes in the morning and two each afternoon, totaling four votes will be held daily.
- After a total of 33 or 34 ballots depending whether a ballot took place on the afternoon of the first day, an absolute majority of the College of CardinalsCollege of CardinalsThe College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
may change the election rule; however, no modification can supersede the requirement that a valid election have at least an absolute majority of the votes. (This regulation was later revised by Benedict XVI; see below)
Secrecy
Strict secrecy is to be ensured throughout the process. Anyone violating the security of the VaticanVatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, introducing recording equipment, or communicating with a cardinal elector in any way, risks excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
. Other penalties are at the discretion of the incoming Pope. Various oaths are also required to be taken by the participants, to ensure that they will act properly.
Previous methods of election
Previously, in addition to secret ballot two other methods were allowed for the conduct of the election. A committee of nine to fifteen unanimously chosen cardinals might have been delegated, to make the choice for all (election by compromiseCompromise
To compromise is to make a deal where one person gives up part of his or her demand.In arguments, compromise is a concept of finding agreement through communication, through a mutual acceptance of terms—often involving variations from an original goal or desire.Extremism is often considered as...
, per compromissum). Alternatively, formal ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
s could be discarded: in election by acclamation
Acclamation (in Papal Elections)
Acclamation was formerly one of the methods of papal election.The method of electing the Roman Pontiff is contained in the constitutions of Gregory XV Æterni Patris Filius and Decet Romanum Pontificem, Urban VIII's constitution Ad Romani Pontificis Providentiam, and John Paul II's Universi...
(per acclamationem seu inspirationem) the electors simultaneously shouted out the name of their preferred candidate. Both of these methods have now been abolished: the rationale given was that either compromise or acclamation would not require each cardinal to express his preference. Also, these two methods tended to produce controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
, and in any case neither had been used for quite some time - the last compromise election was of Pope John XXII
Pope John XXII
Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
in 1316, and the last affirmation (acclamation) election was of Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV , born Alessandro Ludovisi, was pope from 1621, succeeding Paul V on 9 February 1621...
in 1621. As a result, election by secret ballot is now the only valid method of electing a Pope.
Living quarters of cardinals
Also Universi Dominici Gregis provided that Cardinals would be housed in Domus Sanctae MarthaeDomus Sanctae Marthae
The Domus Sanctæ Marthæ is a building completed in 1996 adjacent to Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City built during the reign of Pope John Paul II...
, a building with dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
type accommodation built within the Vatican City. Previously Cardinals were housed in improvised accommodation which were often noted for not being particularly comfortable.
Major changes
Three major changes occurred in the new Apostolic Constitution.- Provision was provided for the election of a pope by an absolute majority in certain circumstances.
- For the first time in centuries cardinals were to be provided with an official set of apartments separate from the Sistine ChapelSistine ChapelSistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
.
- The method by which a pope symbolically took office was made less specific. Whereas Pope Paul's Romano Pontifici Eligendo explicitly required that the new pope be crownedCoronationA coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
, the new Apostolic Constitution wrote more ambiguously of the inauguration of the pontificate without spelling out specifically by name whether than inaugurating (i.e., formal ceremonial beginning of) the pontificate involves either the old enthronement ceremony, the Papal CoronationPapal CoronationA papal coronation was the ceremony of the placing of the Papal Tiara on a newly elected pope. The first recorded papal coronation was that of Pope Celestine II in 1143. Soon after his coronation in 1963, Pope Paul VI abandoned the practice of wearing the tiara. His successors have chosen not to...
or the version used since 1978, the Papal InaugurationPapal InaugurationThe Papal Inauguration is a liturgical service of the Catholic Church within Mass celebrated in the Roman Rite but with elements of Byzantine Rite for the ecclesiastical investiture of the Pope...
. All that is required is that some formal ceremony take place. What form that takes is left up to the discretion of the incoming pope.
2005 papal conclave
The Papal election of 2005Papal conclave, 2005
The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened as a result of the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on 18 April 2005 and ended on the following...
was the first papal election to be held under this system.
Changes
On June 11, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI issued a Motu ProprioMotu proprio
A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him....
beginning with the words Constitutione Apostolica, subtitled De aliquibus mutationibus in normis de electione romani pontificis which reinstates the traditional norms for the vote required to elect the Pope. Unless changed by a future Pope, a two-thirds vote will be required to elect a new Pope regardless of the number of ballots it takes to elect a new Pope.http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070611_de-electione_lt.html