Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the Catholic Church’s highest ordinary judicial authority below the Roman Pontiff and the supreme tribunal for administrative justice.
Nature of the office
The Signatura hears specified complaints against Rotal judgments, conflicts of competence, and recourses concerning administrative acts. It also oversees the proper administration of justice and the functioning of ecclesiastical tribunals.[1]
Canonical place
It is not a civil supreme court and does not review every ecclesiastical dispute. Its competence is carefully assigned by canon law, Praedicate evangelium, and its proper law, always in service to the Pope’s supreme judicial authority. It also exercises administrative supervision over tribunals without replacing the judges who decide individual causes.[2]
References
- Back to citation Code of Canon Law, canon 1445 — Universal or special law governing the office and its competence.
- Back to citation Pope Francis, Praedicate evangelium, arts. 194–199 — Current curial law concerning the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.