Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-07-07
Promulgated For Govern,
ment Of Roman Church.
important Pontitica| Document
Issued From The Vatican.
Change Is Made In the Jurlsdlc tlon
Over lltigations.

zeal document cOnllrmlnS the organ
ization and working of the Roman con-
gregations was made public Monday
1t removes Great Britain, Holland,
Canada and the United States from
the jurisdiction of the Propaganda,
these countries thus ceasing to be con-
sidered missionary lands.
Besides reform in the Propaganda,
the Pontficial decree introduced re-
markable notifications in the other
congregations. The document consists
of three parts, the first being an apos-
tolic constitution, recognizing the
congregations through a more stable
division of subjects and eliminating
the duplication of authority and the
second is a special law for the regula-
tion of the labors of the ancient Rota
and Segnatura tribunals. The most I'M
portant part of the reform is that both
civil and criminal litgations are re-
moved from the jurisdiction of the
congregations and entrusted to the
tribunals of the Rota and of the
Segnatura the congregations only re-
tanning disciplinary powers A new con-
gregation regulating discipline and
sacrament is created, its duties includ-
ing also questions regarding marriages,
while the dogmatic side of the sacra-
ments remains under the jurisdiction
of the congregation of the Holy office.
which includes mixed marriages. name
ly, when either husband or wife is not
a Catholic. The Pope remains project
of the Holy office.
The Importance of the congregation
of the Consistory, of which the Pope
also is the prefect, is augmented by it.
undertaking the creation of bishops
and the surveillance and direction of
the rules of dioceses and seminaries
and also deciding questions of COM
petencc between the congregations.
The tribunal of the penitentiary re-
mains only as an international court
for questions of conscience, all other
questions going to the Rota in the
first instance and then to the Segna-
tura as supreme court.
The Rota works in sections of three,
five and seven judges or as whole
body of judges. It's sentences must be
justified in detail under penalty of
nullity. The Rota works also as a court
of appeals both for sentences pro-
nounced by other courts or sentences
handed down by the Rota itself, in
which case the appeal is judged by diff
ferent Judges.
The Segnatura works as court of
cessation in four cases, the first as an
appeal court against a sentence of the
Rota; second, alleged nullity; third.
suspicion against a Rota judge, and
fourth to hear suits for damage against
Rota judges.
Anyone can appeal against the de-
csionS of these courts with or without
the assistance of lawyers and special
body of lawyers has been formed. the
members pledging themselves to assist
the poor gratuitously. The poor also
are exempted from paying fees to the
court
The decree will be followed by a new
code comprising all of the canon law,
on which Cardinal Gasparri has been
working for four years. In addition to
those already mentioned, the gecgraph-
ical divisions removed from the juris-
diction of the Propaganda include New
Foundland, Gibraltar and Luxem-
bourg
The reforms will become operative
next November. The Rota will be an
International court with 10 Judges and
besides the Italian, French Austrian,
Spanish and Portuguese judges. 1t will
have one English speaking judge. The
Segnatura will be entirely composed,
of cardinals. To what number, how
ever is as yet uncertain. The practical
result of the new conditions is that
the countries removed from the juris-
diction Of the Propaganda instead Of
applying to the Propaganda for all
questions to be decided, they must APP
ply to IL suitable congregation. The
creation Of new dioceses and the ap-
pointmcnt of new bishops will be dealt
with by the sccretaryship of state, af-
ter which they will be sent in trust to
the congregation of the Consistory to
carry out the decision. While at pres
ent all questions are gratuitously dealt
with by the Propaganda as established
for missionary lands after the reforms
go into effect, the payment of the usual
fees will be cxacted. At the Vatican,
however, it is remarked that English-
Continued on Page Twelve.)