Bulla

Bula of Pope Urban VIII with the lead seal (bulla).

A bull is a lead-sealed document on political or religious matters, in which case, if authenticated with the papal seal, it is called a papal bull or Pontifical bull. The word comes from the Latin bulla, a term that refers to any artificial round object, and was originally used to refer to the medal worn around their necks in Ancient Rome by the children of noble families. until the moment they wore the toga. In the most important matters, following a practice of the Byzantine Empire, the seal was made of gold (golden bull).

Features

Generally, those pontifical documents that are issued by the papal Apostolic Chancellery on certain matters of importance within the clerical and even civil administration are known as bulls, constituting one of the most widespread instruments on which the authority of the pontiff.

From a formal point of view, the bull is solemn and very characteristic. It had a lead seal with a cross in the center and a representation of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, while the name of the pope at the time of its publication and the year of pontificate were recorded on the reverse. Normally, it is sent to the archbishop of the diocese, who in turn will forward it to the parish. It is written in Latin and, if it appears in Spanish, it is the translation made by the archbishopric; in that case it is considered a copy. In the printed transcription of the bulls, the lead seal is expressed by the initials of the Latin words loco (in [this] place) and plumbum (lead), and in the middle a cross: L + P.

Regarding their content, the bulls express various mandates in matters of ordinances and constitutions, doctrinal condemnations, granting of benefits, judgments of the Church, decrees of indulgences, ecclesiastical lordships, etc. When the bull is of minor extension and/or importance, it is called brief.

Formulism

Papa Julio II's founding bullet. Manuscript on parchment, year 1505.

The material of the bulls is parchment and papyrus up to the xi century. Then just the parchment and vellum. The oldest papyrus document known with certain date is a bull of Pope Stephen III of the year 757.

The salutation in bulls is often made from Urban II in 1088 with the formula In perpetuam or Ad perpetuam rei memoriam, either which is not constant until the 16th century. From the late X century to the early xvi the salutation with this formula is very frequent: Salutem et apostólicam benedictionem, especially when addressed to one or few recipients. The title of Servuus servorum Dei that accompanies the name of the Pontiff and precedes the said salutation dates from Saint Gregory the Great but is not definitive until the xi.

The dates of the pontifical documents initially followed the computation by consulates until John III in the year 560 when data was entered, since in the primitive ones, before Saint Leo I, it was commonly omitted. From the vii century they are dated with the year of the Emperor and the Roman Indication and from the beginning of the VIII with that of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ ceasing to name emperors since the turn of the century xii. Also added to the date is the year that the Pontiff who issues the bull has been in the reign, which is constant since Clement III in 1187 at least. Counting the years by the Christian Era, the bulls are distinguished from the breves in that the first begin the year ab incardatione Domini (March 25) and the second a Nativitate Domini (December 25) and carry the indication of the month and day in the common or ordinary way.

The font of the bulls, quite legible since the middle of the century xi took on a pseudo-Gothic character called littera Sancti Petri or bollática since Clemente VIII in 1592 and it was written brokenly and with features that make it difficult to read without periods or commas, or accents or diphthongs. But henceforth, by mandate of Leo XIII in 1878, they are written in ordinary and perfectly intelligible handwriting. It is noteworthy that the Roman Chancellery did not have decadent periods in writing as other European Chancelleries had.

History

Among the Romans the bulla or bull, was a sphere-shaped medal worn by free children until the moment they stopped wearing the pretext toga or until they got married. The custom seems to come from Etruria, where it was also worn by adults. The sons of noble and wealthy families wore a gold bull; those of lower status, such as those freed, wore a piece of leather instead. When they reached adolescence, the first ones left the bull along with the pretext toga, and generally they consecrated the latter to the main gods or some other divinities.

Plutarch reports that the "bulla a ball-shaped medallion and a purple-embroidered toga" they were the hallmark of the children born from the union of the kidnapped Sabine women and the first Romans. On his part, Pliny the Elder relates that the Roman king Tarquin, the Ancient, granted a gold bulla to his fourteen-year-old son for having killed a Sabine in combat. The same author says that according to some historians, Romulus had previously given a bull to the son of Horto, the eldest of the Sabine maidens, after their theft, who was later called Tulio Hostilio.

Later, during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, any princely rescript bearing a gold, silver or lead seal was called a bull. The fact of being open and sealed, instead of signed and closed like the documents sent to individuals, highlighted its nature as a public document. As early as the vi century, a circular seal began to be used, generally made of lead, although gold could be used on very solemn occasions, as a means of authenticating certain documents; It was called a bull because it resembled those used by children or by certain tables that were exposed to the public, in which the holidays were recorded, and had the same name. In early times, it should be noted that this seal, and not the document itself, was called a bull. The word bull was used during the Middle Ages for the edicts of the sovereigns, especially those of the Empire, but also to the agreements between different princes; until, finally, it came to be applied exclusively to the writings of the popes on some matter of doctrinal or disciplinary importance.

Papal Bull

Bula de Alejandro VI authorizing the foundation of the University of Alcalá (1499).

Papal Bull authorizing the foundation of the current National University of San Marcos, the oldest university in America (1551).

In the case of being a papal document, the bull was printed on the obverse with the name of the pope under whose pontificate the document was issued, and on the reverse the inscriptions SPE and SPA divided by a cross, initials that referred to to Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

This bull or seal was attached, by means of a hemp rope or a red or yellow silk ribbon, to the document that until the century XI d. C. was made of papyrus, which explains the few originals that have been preserved, leaving in many cases only the lead seal itself. From that century the papyrus was replaced by the parchment and later the paper was used.

From the 13th century the term bull ceases to refer to the seal to describe the document itself that was placed and, from the 15th century, ceased to refer to any papal document to be reserved for the relative apostolic letters to matters of faith or general interest, granting of graces and privileges, or judicial or administrative matters issued by the Apostolic Chancellery.

In these cases, the bull began with the name of the pope without the numeral, followed by his dignity of Episcopus (bishop) and the title Servus Servorum Dei (servant of the servants of God). Thus, for example, if a bull is published by the current Pope, it will be headed by the following text:

Franciscus, Episcopus, Servus Servorum Dei

In the 18th century the lead seal was replaced by red wax stamping.

The bulls are rolled or folded and secured with a seal, so that they are not read by anyone until they reach their addressee. When a bull is too important, another golden seal is added to it, and it is called the Golden Bull.

Bulls published up to the xii century were signed exclusively with the pope, who from that time began to use the formula Ego, N N, catholice ecclesie episcopus SS. Later they were also signed by the cardinals.

Bulls are known by the first two or three words of the text that exposes the issues discussed.

The most notable bull, without a doubt, although it could be said to be multiple, and whose origin is unknown, is the so-called Bulla in Coena Domini, because it was read publicly on Holy Thursday by a cardinal deacon in the presence of the pope, accompanied by the other cardinals and bishops.

It contained an excommunication against all heretics, stubborn and disobedient to the Holy See, and after reading it, the pope threw a burning brand into the public square, as a sign of striking down the anathema. In the bull of Pope Paul III, of the year 1536, it was expressed that it was an ancient custom of the sovereign pontiffs, to publish this excommunication on Holy Thursday, for preserving the purity of the Christian religion, and maintaining the union of the faithful; but there was no mention in it of the origin of the ceremony. The main parts of the aforementioned bull concerned heretics and their factors, pirates and corsairs, those who imposed new tolls, those who falsified bulls and other apostolic letters, those who mistreated the prelates of the Church, those who disturbed or wanted to restrict ecclesiastical jurisdiction, even under the pretext of preventing some violence, were counselors or attorneys general of secular princes, those who usurped the property of the Church, etc. All these things were reserved to the pope, and no priest could absolve from them, except in the article of death. These bulls found vigorous resistance in all the Christian princes, and ceased from the year 1770, in the pontificate of Clement XIV, although with some reservations that were deposited in the Vatican, and that his successors have continued.