Cum ex apostolatus officio
Encyclopedia
Cum ex Apostolatus Officio is the name of a papal bull
issued by Pope Paul IV
on February 15, 1559, as a codification or explicitation of the ancient Catholic law that only Catholics can be elected Popes, to the exclusion of non-Catholics, including former Catholics who have become public and manifest heretics.
The immediate provocation was Pope Paul's suspicion that Cardinal Morone
who was popular and expected to succeed him, was secretly a Protestant. Pope Paul IV believed it necessary to prevent or negate Morone's possible election as his successor. He wanted to set it in Church Law that no manifest heretic can lawfully hold the Office of St. Peter.
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
issued by Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
on February 15, 1559, as a codification or explicitation of the ancient Catholic law that only Catholics can be elected Popes, to the exclusion of non-Catholics, including former Catholics who have become public and manifest heretics.
The immediate provocation was Pope Paul's suspicion that Cardinal Morone
Giovanni Morone
Giovanni Morone was an Italian cardinal. He was named Bishop of Modena in 1529 and was created Cardinal in 1542 by Pope Paul III...
who was popular and expected to succeed him, was secretly a Protestant. Pope Paul IV believed it necessary to prevent or negate Morone's possible election as his successor. He wanted to set it in Church Law that no manifest heretic can lawfully hold the Office of St. Peter.