| TRIBUNALS Judicial institutions of the Holy See
Apostolic
Penitentiary
Major Penitentiary: Cardinal William Wakefield Baum
Regent: Bishop Luigi De Magistris
The competence of this Tribunal is concerned with those
matters which pertain to the internal forum, for both the
sacramental and non-sacramental internal forum. It is competent in matters pertaining to
the granting and use of indulgences.
Supreme Tribunal
of the Apostolic Signatura
Prefect: Cardinal Gilberto Agustoni
Secretary: Archbishop Zenon Grocholewski
This department, in addition to the function which it
exercises as Supreme Tribunal, consults so that justice may be correctly administered in
the Church. With many functions, the Apostolic Signatura judges the matters assigned to it
in the Code of Canon Law; it extend the competence of tribunals; it extends the forum for
strangers in Rome to cases of matrimonial nullity in extraordinary circumstances and for
grave reasons; it supervises the proper administration of justice; it provides for the
establishment of regional and interregional tribunals; it enjoys the rights assigned to it
in concordats between the Holy See and the various nations. The Tribunal settles questions
about the exercise of administrative ecclesiastical power which are referred to it. It
also passes on conflicts of competence among the departments of the Holy See; it examines
administrative matters referred to it by the Congregations of the Roman Curia as well as
questions committed to it by the Holy Father.
Tribunal of the Roman
Rota
Dean: Archbishop Mario Francesco Pompedda
This tribunal acts as a higher instance at the Apostolic
See, usually in the grade of appeal, for safeguarding rights in the Church; it fosters the
unity of jurisprudence and, through its own sentences, is a help to lower tribunals. It is
also a court of first instance for cases specified in the law and for others committed to
the Rota by the Roman Pontiff. The greater Part of its decisions concern the nullity of
marriage. In such cases its competence includes marriages between two Catholics, between a
Catholic and non-Catholic, and between two non-Catholic parties whether one or both of the
baptized parties belongs to a Latin or Oriental Rite.
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