I am confused about the different types of documents of the church.
The following is something I completed for my theology degree a few years ago. Because I don’t claim to be infallible (!) I’m open to friendly corrections with appropriate citations. It’s worth saying that some of the categories are hard to fully define in a manner that avoids all exceptions. Simply put, the terminology of Church documentation has developed throughout history.
Papal and Conciliar Documents
Apostolic Constitution – a document capable of presenting the highest level of Church teaching. Pope Pius XII’s 1950 Apostolic Constitution
Munificentissimus Deus proclaimed the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is recognised as an
ex cathedra statement. However, constitutions may also be concerned with a mixture of canonical and theological matters (as in Pope Benedict’s 2009
Anglicanorum Coetibus, which lays down the conditions for the Anglican ordinariate) and thus are not always a statement of doctrine or dogma.
Apostolic Exhortation – a ‘call-to-arms’ styled document that tasks the faithful to work and pray towards a particular end. It may include canonical provisions and thus issue an authoritative instruction (law, not teaching) but otherwise may be merely a statement of pastoral, devotional or theological opinion.
Apostolic Letter – Typically a statement emerging from a synod, or written by a pope or bishop to address a matter of concern, and often canonical in nature but perhaps engaging in theological discourse. The authority of the author determines the applicability of the statement i.e. a pope may address the universal church, whereas a bishop would only address his own flock.
Bull – a generic term for a papal communication that is misleadingly applied to many documents with different levels of importance, including the purely canonical and even the administrative e.g. an invite to a synod, and which has retrospectively been used in reference to many older papal writings. There is also a common misunderstanding that any bull is an infallible or authoritative teaching, when in fact ‘bull’ (from the Latin* bulla* or seal) simply means that the document is decorated with the papal seal.
Declaration – a document designed to expound upon a matter of doctrinal significance, and to teach authoritatively rather than infallibly. Frequently the teaching is discursive, and reflects upon different levels of theological opinion without always coming to distinct conclusions on every matter considered.
Decree – A document that makes clear authoritative statements on doctrine: constitutions are also a form of decree, but are identified differently because constitutions sometimes deal with matters of dogmatic or otherwise infallible teaching. Most of the documents of the Second Vatican Council were decrees, offering teaching that was not infallible but which did require the full assent of faith. In recent history popes have used encyclicals to promulgate their personal teachings, whereas decrees have reflected conciliar teachings (where the pope exercises his authority in communion with the other bishops).
Encyclical – The highest form of papal communication after a constitution, addressed to the universal church, and specifically concerned with doctrine and resulting praxis. Because doctrine can represent infallible but non-dogmatic teachings (although not always, and not even in the majority of cases) there is again a common misunderstanding that encyclicals are typically expressive of infallible teaching.
Dogmatic Constitution – A recent term that was used by the Second Vatican council when promulgating two documents – *Dei Verbum *and
Lumen Gentium – and in terms of significance not distinguishable from any other constitution that deals with dogmatic teaching. The term is important, however, because it reflects the decision of the council to ensure that in future (unlike in the past) any dogmatic teaching of the magisterium is clearly indicated as such.
Motu Proprio – typically a canonical instruction with universal application, effectively introducing, changing or abrogating a law, or in some cases dispensing a law in particular circumstances. This latter usage means that in the past papal favours were often proclaimed by
motu proprio.
Papal Letter – can (unsurprisingly) cover the entire spectrum from a simple greeting to matters of universal concern, typically used when a pope or bishop does not wish to make formal or categorical statements. Often used for pastoral as opposed to doctrinal purposes.
Papal Message – like a letter, but even less obviously formal and almost exclusively used for pastoral communications.
Pastoral Constitution – another form of Apostolic constitution, the term also being newly applied by the Second Vatican council to two documents: –
Gaudium et Spes and
Sacrosanctum Concilium. As with ‘dogmatic constitution’ the usage was to distinguish between teaching that was dogmatic and teaching that was not, but this has led to some confusion as to whether at least parts of the two documents in question are otherwise infallible, even if not dogmatic.
Hope this helps
In Christ,
Withburga
