Rescript of Pope Francis appointing Cardinal Tagle as a Cardinal-Bishop of a Suburbicarian Church: Translated and Annotated

Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
(CNS photo via CBCP/Paul Haring / MANILA BULLETIN)

RESCRIPTUM EX AUDIENTIA SS.MI: Rescritto del Santo Padre Francesco con cui ha deciso di cooptare nell’Ordine dei Vescovi, equiparandolo in tutto ai Cardinali insigniti del titolo di una Chiesa suburbicaria, l’Em.mo Cardinale Luis Antonio G. Tagle, 01.05.2020

(RESCRIPTUM EX AUDIENTIA SANCTISSIMI[1]: Rescript of the Holy Father Pope Francis in which he has decided to appoint His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle to the Order of Bishops, equating him in all respects to all the Cardinals who were bestowed with the title of a Suburbicarian Church[2].)

Il Sommo Pontefice Francesco

nell’Udienza concessa al sottoscritto Sostituto per gli Affari Generali il 14 aprile 2020, ha deciso di cooptare nell’Ordine dei Vescovi, equiparandolo in tutto ai Cardinali insigniti del titolo di una Chiesa suburbicaria, in deroga ai canoni 350 §§ 1-2 e 352 §§ 2-3 CIC, Sua Eminenza Reverendissima il Signor Cardinale Luis Antonio G. Tagle, del Titolo di S. Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle, Prefetto della Congregazione per l’Evangelizzazione dei Popoli.

(The Supreme Pontiff Francis, in an Audience granted to the undersigned Substitute for General Affairs[3] on the 14^th of April 2020, has decided to appoint His Eminence Lord Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, of the title of St. Felix of Cantalice at Centocelle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples, to the Order of Bishops,  equating him in all respects to the Cardinals who were bestowed with the title of a Suburbicarian Church, as an exception to canons 350 §§ 1-2[4] and 352 §§ 2-3[5] of the Code of Canon Law.)

Il presente Rescritto sarà promulgato tramite pubblicazione su “L’Osservatore Romano”, entrando in vigore il 1° maggio 2020, e quindi pubblicato sugli Acta Apostolicae Sedis.

This present Rescript will be promulgated through the publication in “L'Osservatore Romano,” effective on the 1^st of May 2020, and then published in the Acta Apostolicæ Sedis (Acts of the Apostolic See).

Dal Vaticano, 1° maggio 2020

(From the Vatican, 1^st  of May 2020)

X Edgar Peña Parra

Sostituto

(+Edgar Peña Parra
Substitute)

---

[1] RESCRIPTUM EX AUDIENTIA SANCTISSIMI  (Literally, Rescript from the Audience of the Most Holy One) is a response of the pope, or a Congregation of the Roman Curia, in writing, to queries or petitions of individuals. Papal rescripts also concern the granting of favors or the administration of justice under canon law.

[2] The term suburbicarius is taken from Roman public law, the expression regiones or provinciae suburbicariae means the districts adjacent to Rome. It  is applied to the dioceses nearest Rome, such as Albano, Frascati (Tusculum), Palestrina, Sabina, Ostia and Velletri, Porto and S. Rufina, and the bishops of which form the Order of Cardinal Bishops.

[3] The Section for General Affairs is headed by an archbishop known as the Substitute for General Affairs, or more formally, Substitute for General Affairs to the Secretary of State. The current Substitute for General Affairs to the Secretary of State is Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra.

[4] Can. 350 §1 The College of Cardinals is divided into three orders: the episcopal order, to which belong those Cardinals to whom the Roman Pontiff assigns the title of a suburbicarian Church, and eastern-rite Patriarchs who are made members of the College of Cardinals; the presbyteral order, and the diaconal order.

§2 Cardinal priests and Cardinal deacons are each assigned a title or a deaconry in Rome by the Roman Pontiff.

[5] Can. 352 §2 When the office of Dean is vacant, those Cardinals who have a suburbicarian title, and only those, under the presidency of the sub-Dean if he is present, or of the oldest member, elect one of their number to act as Dean of the College. They are to submit his name to the Roman Pontiff, to whom it belongs to approve the person elected.

§3 In the same way as set out in §2, the sub-Dean is elected, with the Dean presiding. It belongs to the Roman Pontiff to approve also the election of the sub-Dean.