{{Short description|Catholic appellate court}} {{For|the papal symbol|Rota (papal signature)}} {{Roman Curia sidebar}} {{Catholic canon law}}

The '''Roman Rota''', formally the '''Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota''' ({{langx|la|Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae}}), and anciently the '''Apostolic Court of Audience''', is the highest appellate tribunal of the Catholic Church, with respect to both Latin Church members<ref>Codex Iuris Canonici [CIC] canons 1443, 1444.</ref> and the Eastern Catholic members<ref>Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium [CCEO] canon 1065.</ref> and is the highest ecclesiastical court constituted by the Holy See related to judicial trials conducted in the Catholic Church.<ref>''See'' John Paul II, ap. con. ''Pastor Bonus'' art. 121, 80 Acta Apostolicae Sedis 841 (1988) (noting that the Apostolic Signatura is the supreme tribunal)</ref> An appeal may be had to the pope himself, who is the supreme ecclesiastical judge.<ref>1983 CIC, can. 1442</ref> The Catholic Church has a complete legal system, which is the oldest in the West still in use.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wacks |first=Raymond |title=Law: A Very Short Introduction |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=2nd |pages=15 |language=en}}</ref> The court is named ''Rota'' (wheel) because the judges, called ''auditors'', originally met in a round room to hear cases.<ref name="Edward Peters">{{cite web |last1=Peters |first1=Edward |title=Canon Law&mdash;Canonistics&mdash;Rota Background |url=http://www.canonlaw.info/personal_rotademo.htm |website=CanonLaw.info |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401204400if_/http://www.canonlaw.info/personal_rotademo.htm |archive-date=1 April 2021 |date=7 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Rota emerged from the Apostolic Chancery starting in the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tribunale della Rota Romana |url=http://www.rotaromana.va/content/rotaromana/it/profilo.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.rotaromana.va |language=it}}</ref>

==Constitution== The pope appoints the auditors of the Rota and designates one of them the dean.<ref>''Pastor Bonus'' art. 127.</ref> On September 22, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation, for reasons of age, of Bishop Antoni Stankiewicz as dean and appointed in his place Msgr. {{interlanguage link|Pio Vito Pinto|cs||de||fr||pl||pt||ru|Пинто, Пио Вито}}, who had been serving as a prelate auditor of the Court of First Instance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zenit.org%2Ffr%2Farticles%2Fcour-d-appel-du-vatican-mgr-pio-vito-pinto-president&edit-text=|title=Vatican Appeals Court: Mgr Pio Vito Pinto President|date=13 December 2012|access-date=13 May 2015|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517224541/https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zenit.org%2Ffr%2Farticles%2Fcour-d-appel-du-vatican-mgr-pio-vito-pinto-president&edit-text=|url-status=dead}}</ref> On March 29, 2021, Msgr. Pinto retired<ref name="PioVitoPintoCH" /> and Pope Francis appointed Msgr. Alejandro Arellano Cedillo as dean.<ref name="Cedillo Appt Vatican PO" />

The Rota issues its decrees and sentences in Latin.<ref>''Pastor Bonus'' art. 16 (Latin is the official language of the Roman Curia).</ref> The Rota adjudicates cases in a panel (called a ''turnus'') of three auditors, or more, depending on the complexity of the matter, assigned by the dean of the tribunal.<ref>Canon L. Socy. Gr. Brit. & Ir., ''The Canon Law Letter and Spirit: A Practical Guide to the Code of Canon Law'' ¶ 2907, at 837 (Gerard Sheehy et al. eds., Liturgical Press 1995).</ref> The auditors of the Rota are selected from among recognized ecclesiastical judges serving various dioceses around the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tribunale della Rota Romana |url=http://www.rotaromana.va/content/rotaromana/it/profilo.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.rotaromana.va |language=it}}</ref>

==History== thumb|left|200px|Façade of the Palazzo della Cancelleria in RomeThe Rota's official records begin in 1171.<ref name="Anne O 1957 pg. 43">Anne O'Hare McCormick, ''Vatican Journal: 1921-1954'' (New York: Farrar, Strause and Cudahy, 1957) pg. 43</ref> Until the Risorgimento and the loss of the Papal States in 1870, the Rota was a civil tribunal and its judgements had the status of law in the Papal States.<ref>Anne O'Hare McCormick, ''Vatican Journal: 1921-1954'' (New York: Farrar, Strause and Cudahy, 1957) pg. 39</ref>

Since at least 1961,<ref name="18Sep1961" /> the Rota has been based in the Palazzo della Cancelleria,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dove siamo |url=http://www.rotaromana.va/content/rotaromana/it/dove-siamo.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.rotaromana.va}}</ref> along with the other courts of the Holy See: the Apostolic Penitentiary<ref>{{Cite web |title=HOMEPAGE DI PENITENZIERIA APOSTOLICA |url=http://www.penitenzieria.va/content/penitenzieriaapostolica/it.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.penitenzieria.va |language=it}}</ref> and the Apostolic Signatura.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Institutions of Justice Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura Profile |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/romancuria/en/organismi-di-giustizia/supremo-tribunale-della-segnatura-apostolica/profilo.html |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=www.vatican.va}}</ref>

===Name=== Until the 14th century, the court was formally known as the ''Apostolic Court of Audience''. The first recorded use of the term ''Rota'', which referred to the wheel-shaped arrangement of the benches used by the court in the great hall at Avignon, is in Thomas Fastolf's ''Decisiones rotae'', consisting of reports on thirty-six cases heard at the Court of Audience in Avignon between December 1336 and February 1337.<ref>John Hamilton Baker, ''Monuments of endlesse labours: English canonists and their work'' (1998), [https://books.google.com/books?id=SjoiMNpqSG4C&pg=PA22 p. 22]</ref> Its first usage in a papal bull is in 1418.<ref name="Anne O 1957 pg. 43" /> It is also possible that the term ''Rota'' comes from the porphyry wheel that was centered in the marble floor of Avignon, or even from the wheel-like cases in which parchment roll records were kept.<ref>Anne O'Hare McCormick, ''Vatican Journal: 1921-1954'' (New York: Farrar, Strause and Cudahy, 1957) pp. 37-38</ref>

==Operations== thumb|left|200px|The Roman Rota is named after the round room in which it originally met. The Rota's main function is that of an appellate tribunal, ordinarily reviewing decisions of lower courts if the initial court (first instance) and the first appellate court (second instance) do not agree on the outcome of a case;<ref>''Pastor Bonus'' art. 128 §&nbsp;2.</ref> however, any party to an initial decision before a court of the Latin Church (and also some Eastern Churches) has the right to file a second-instance appeal directly to the Rota.<ref>''Pastor bonus'' art. 128 §&nbsp;1.</ref> Dominating its caseload are petitions seeking the issuance of a decree of nullity of a marriage, although it has jurisdiction to hear any other type of judicial and non-administrative case in any area of canon law. The Rota serves as a tribunal of first instance (in Anglo-American common law what would be termed exclusive original jurisdiction) in certain cases such as any contentious case in which a bishop of the Latin Church is a defendant.<ref>''See'' ''Pastor Bonus'' art. 129 §&nbsp;1.</ref> If the case can still be appealed after a Rotal decision, the appeal goes to a different turnus, or panel, of the Rota.<ref>Art. 18,2 Normae Rotalis</ref> The Rota is the highest appeals court for all judicial trials in the Catholic Church. A judgment of the Rota can, however with the greatest difficulty, be vacated by the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which is the highest administrative court in the Catholic Church.<ref>''See'' ''Pastor bonus'' art. 122 (noting that the Apostolic Signatura, from Rotal sentences, hears plaints of nullity, petitions for total reinstatement, and petitions for new examination of status-of-persons cases and also hears misconduct proceedings against Rotal auditors).</ref> However, the legal procedure or process used by the judges of the Rota, not the merits of the case, are on trial before the Signatura: the Signatura is only able to grant the petitioner a new trial to be held before a new ''turnus'' of the Rota, if the Rota was found to have erred in procedure ("''de procedendo''").<ref>Art. 33 Proper Law of Segnatura Apostolica</ref>

The Roman Rota proceedings are governed by a specific set of rules, the "Normae Romanae Rotae Tribunalis", promulgated in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.<ref>(Acta Apostolicae Sedis, June 6 1994)</ref> Only advocates who are registered in a specific list are allowed to represent the parties before the Tribunal.<ref>art 47, Normae Rotalis</ref>

Since Pope Benedict XVI issued the ''motu proprio'' ''Quaerit semper'' the Rota has had exclusive competence to dispense from marriages ''ratum sed non consummatum'' and is also competent to examine cases concerning the nullity of sacred ordination, in accordance with both universal and proper law.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20110830_quaerit-semper_en.html ''Quaerit semper''], Vatican.va, accessed 7 July 2014</ref>

===Auditors=== {{More citations needed|section|date=July 2021}} The active auditors of the Rota, with their dates of appointment by the pope, are: {{colbegin}} * Alejandro Arellano Cedillo (Dean) (25 April 2007; named Dean 30 March 2021)<ref name="AlejandroArellanoCedilloCH" /> * {{interlanguage link|Maurice Monier|de||fr||pl||ru|Монье, Морис}} (Pro-Dean) (9 January 1995; named Pro-Dean 12 December 2016) * {{interlanguage link|Grzegorz Erlebach|pl}} (4 November 1997) * Jair Ferreira Pena (8 February 1999) * Michael Xavier Leo Arokiaraj (25 April 2007) * David Maria A. Jaeger (3 June 2011)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-jew-turned-catholic-priest-named-head-of-papal-court-1.365615 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604115145/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-jew-turned-catholic-priest-named-head-of-papal-court-1.365615 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |title=Israeli Jew turned Catholic priest named head of papal court |last=Zarchin |first=Tomer |date=3 June 2011 |work=Haaretz |access-date=5 June 2011}} Note that the headline errs in stating that Jaeger was appointed "head" of the court; the body of the article does not make this mistake.</ref> * Vito Angelo Todisco (4 October 2011) * Felipe Heredia Esteban (4 October 2011) * Davide Salvatori (30 December 2011) * {{interlanguage link|Alejandro W. Bunge|de||pt|Alejandro Wilfredo Bunge|ru|Бунге, Алехандро Вильфредо}} (17 April 2013) * Antonio Bartolacci (23 January 2014) * Manuel Saturino da Costa Gomes (23 January 2014) * Pietro Milite (9 January 2015) * Miroslav Konštanc Adam (22 March 2016)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.op.org/en/content/fr-konstane-adam-appointed-judge-roman-rota |title=Fr Konštane Adam Appointed Judge of the Roman Rota |date=31 March 2016 |access-date=4 April 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> * José Fernando Mejía Yáñez (22 March 2016) * Francesco Viscome (21 November 2016) * Hans-Peter Fischer (20 July 2017) * Robert Gołębiowski (19 July 2019)<ref name="Gołębiowski" /> * Antonios Chouweifaty (25 April 2022)<ref name="Chouweifaty" /> * Laurence John Spiteri (25 April 2022) * Pierangelo Pietracatella, (23 January 2023)<ref name="Pietracatella" />

{{colend}}

===Officers=== {{More citations needed|section|date=July 2021}} * Tomasz Kubiczek, (Promoter of Justice)<ref name="Kubiczek" /> * Domenico Teti, (Adjunct Promoter of Justice) * Jude Barthomieux Frédéric, (Defender of the Bond)<ref name="Frédéric" /> * Francesco Ibba, (Substitute Defender of the Bond) * Alessandro Recchia, (Second Notary) * Dr. Daniele Cancilla, (Head of the Chancellery)<ref name="Cancilla" />

== References == {{reflist|1=35em|refs= <ref name="Chouweifaty">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments, 25.04.2022 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/04/25/220425b.html |access-date=23 September 2022 |work=Holy See Press Office |issue=Daily Bulletin of 25.04.2022 |date=25 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923032420if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/04/25/220425b.html |archive-date=23 September 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="Gołębiowski">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments, 19.07.2019 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/07/19/190719a.html |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Holy See Press Office |issue=Daily Bulletin of 19.07.2019 |date=19 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403032420if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/07/19/190719a.html |archive-date=3 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="Pietracatella">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments, 23.01.2023 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/01/23/230123c.html |access-date=23 January 2023 |work=Holy See Press Office |issue=Daily Bulletin of 23.01.2023 |date=23 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123032222if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/01/23/230123c.html |archive-date=23 January 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="Frédéric">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments, 12.01.2023 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/01/12/230112c.html |access-date=12 January 2023 |work=Holy See Press Office |issue=Daily Bulletin of 12.01.2023 |date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403032222if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/01/12/230112c.html |archive-date=3 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="Kubiczek">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments, 28.09.2019 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/09/28/190928d.html |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Holy See Press Office |issue=Daily Bulletin of 28.09.2019 |date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403031753if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/09/28/190928d.html |archive-date=3 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="Cancilla">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments, 19.06.2017 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/06/19/170619b.html |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Holy See Press Office |issue=Daily Bulletin of 19.06.2017 |date=19 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403001555if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/06/19/170619b.html |archive-date=3 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="18Sep1961">{{cite news |title=Catholic News Service - Newsfeeds |url=https://thecatholicnewsarchive.org/?a=d&d=cns19610918-01.1.42&srpos=114&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=National Catholic Welfare Conference) |date=18 September 1961 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403023218if_/https://thecatholicnewsarchive.org/?a=d&d=cns19610918-01.1.42&srpos=114&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |archive-date=3 April 2021 |url-status=live |page=3 |quote=By maintaining his private apartment in the Chancellery Palace, he remains close by his old legal haunts: both the Rota, which he served so long, and the Apostolic Signature have their offices in the Chancellery.}}</ref> <ref name="Cedillo Appt Vatican PO">{{cite news |title=Resignations and Appointments - Appointment of dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/30/210330c.pdf |access-date=2 April 2021 |issue=Daily Bulletin of 30.03.2021 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=30 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402003957if_/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/30/210330c.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2021 |url-status=live |pages=3–4 |language=English}}</ref> <ref name="PioVitoPintoCH">{{cite web |last1=Cheney |first1=David M. |title=Father Pio Vito Pinto |url=https://catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpintop.html |website=Catholic-Hierarchy |access-date=1 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401214730if_/http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpintop.html |archive-date=1 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="AlejandroArellanoCedilloCH">{{cite web |last1=Cheney |first1=David M. |title=Father Alejandro Arellano Cedillo |url=https://catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bareced.html |website=Catholic-Hierarchy |access-date=1 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401214616if_/http://catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bareced.html |archive-date=1 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> }}

== Further reading == * [https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001933871 ''Capellani Papae et Apostolicae Sedis auditores causarum Sacri Palatii Apostolici seu Sacra Romana Rota ab origine ad diem usque 20 septembris 1870'']

* {{CathEncy|wstitle=Sacra Romana Rota}} == External links == * [http://www.rotaromana.va/content/rotaromana/it.html Tribunal of the Roman Rota] {{Roman Curia footer}} {{Vatican City topics}} {{Holy See}} {{Portal bar|Catholicism|Vatican City}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Roman Rota Category:Ecclesiastical courts Category:Marriage in the Catholic Church Category:Catholic matrimonial canon law Category:Sacramental law Category:Tribunals of the Roman Curia