Honorary Prelate
Encyclopedia
An Honorary Prelate of His Holiness is a priest to whom the Pope
has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor
and have certain privileges as regards ecclesiastical dress.
Before the motu proprio
Pontificalis Domus
of 28 March 1968, Honorary Prelates were called Domestic Prelates (in Latin, Antistites Urbani), a title that then also went with certain offices such as that of Archbishop or Bishop Assistant at the Throne or membership of the Roman Prelature, and that was also maintained by Archbishops, Bishops and Apostolic Protonotaries who had been awarded it before their appointment to those positions.
Today, as well as those to whom the award is granted individually, generally at the request of their bishops, the following are ex officio Honorary Prelates:
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...
has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, 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"...
and have certain privileges as regards ecclesiastical dress.
Before the motu proprio
Motu proprio
A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him....
Pontificalis Domus
Pontificalis Domus
The apostolic letter motu proprio Pontificalis Domus was issued by Pope Paul VI on March 28, 1968, in the fifth year of his pontificate. Its purpose was the reorganization of the Papal Household, which had been known as the Papal Court before the promulgation of the letter.-Introduction:Paul VI...
of 28 March 1968, Honorary Prelates were called Domestic Prelates (in Latin, Antistites Urbani), a title that then also went with certain offices such as that of Archbishop or Bishop Assistant at the Throne or membership of the Roman Prelature, and that was also maintained by Archbishops, Bishops and Apostolic Protonotaries who had been awarded it before their appointment to those positions.
Today, as well as those to whom the award is granted individually, generally at the request of their bishops, the following are ex officio Honorary Prelates:
- The members of the Colleges of the Roman Prelatures: Protonotaries de numero; judges of the RotaSacra Rota RomanaThe Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae — also called the Sacred Roman Rota, and anciently the Apostolic Court of Audience — is the highest appellate tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church, with respect to both Latin-rite members and the eastern-rite members and is, with respect to judicial trials...
; clerics of the Apostolic CameraApostolic CameraThe Apostolic Camera, or in Latin Camera Apostolica or Apostolica Camera, is the central board of finance in the Papal administrative system, which at one time was of great importance in the government of the States of the Church, and in the administration of justice, led by the Camerlengo of the...
; - The Judges of the Rota of the Apostolic NunciatureApostolic NunciatureAn Apostolic Nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See, equivalent to an embassy.The head of the Apostolic Nunciature is called nuncio. A nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin nuntius, meaning messenger...
to SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
; - Some or all of the members of eight cathedral or collegial chaptersChapter (religion)Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and one in PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.