6 
Introduction 
The chief judicial organ of the papacy is the Rota. 19 This court was or¬ 
ganized by John XXII. It acted as a supreme court of appeal for the Papal 
States in all causes, and a supreme court for all Christianity in spiritual causes. 
This second function was the less important during the modern period, as 
the congregations intercepted the greater portion of its work. The occupa¬ 
tion of the Papal States by the Italian government put an end to its temporal 
activity, and it became of small importance, until 1908, when Pius X., by a 
reorganization of administration, replaced it in a position where it will receive 
many cases previously settled elsewhere. 20 The court is composed of nine 
auditors. 
The Segnatura Papale di Giustizia acts, to a certain extent, as a court of 
equity. 21 
There remain several bodies with functions peculiar to the requirements 
and customs of the Holy See. Of these, the penitentiary is of greater dignity 
than the chancery. 22 The penitentiary frames and expedites its own decisions. 
Its functions are in a way judicial, but the cases arising under it are merely 
one-sided, a petition and an answer. It deals purely with such cases of con¬ 
science as fall beyond the range of the ordinary confessional. The greater 
portion of its work is with individuals, but it confers annually upon bishops 
certain general powers. Dispensations from vows, permission to hold ecclesi¬ 
astical property confiscated by the state, and to receive interest, are among 
the subjects of which it treats. Its head is the grand penitentiary, always 
a cardinal, who is supported by a regent and a numerous staff of subordinates. 
Its favors being purely spiritual, no fee is required. 
Ranking in the papal hierarchy after the chancery, is the Dataria, one of 
the busiest departments of the Holy See. 23 Here are received, examined, 
and annotated all kinds of petitions addressed to the Pope. These for the 
most part have to do with matrimonial dispensations not involving matters 
of conscience, and with the granting of benefices. The head of the depart¬ 
ment is invariably a cardinal, but as this has not always been the case, and 
as a cardinal can not with dignity hold an office not of curial rank, he is 
known as the Pro-Datario. Under him is a very numerous body of subor¬ 
dinate officials and clerks. The Dataria acts as collecting agent for a large 
portion of the papal revenue, for the favors which it grants are among the 
most expensive which the Holy See accords, and its responses are not for¬ 
warded until the fees are paid. 
Finally, there is the office of the cardinal secretary of memorials, a posi¬ 
tion of great dignity and giving very close relationship with the Pope. 84 The 
greater number of the favors granted here are spiritual, the majority being 
papal benedictions with plenary indulgence in articulo mortis. It also deals 
with favors not specially relevant to any special office or congregation. In 
addition to the cardinal secretary, there is a large staff. 
It seems to be a tendency, at the present time, to entrust the management 
of new topics as they arise to commissions, 23 with less general range and less 
18 Grimaldi, pp. 57-58. See also p. 201. 
20 “ Regolamento per le Sacre Congregazioni, Tribunali, Offici della Curia Romana ”, 
in La Civiltd, Cattolica, Nov. 7, 1908, pp. 346-358. 
21 Adolf Gottlob, “ Das Vaticanische Archiv ”, in Historisches Jahrbuch, VI. 272. 
23 Grimaldi, pp. 405-430. 
23 Ibid., pp. 449-468. 
24 Ibid., pp. 24-40. 
25 See Gerarchia. 
