DECREE
670
DECRETALS
Benemerenti Medals. — Pope Gregory XVI (1832) in-
stituted two medals which he called merit-medals to
reward civil and military daring and courage. The
military medal bears on one side the image of the
founder, and on the other side an angel holding a
scroll with the word benemerenti, surmounted by the
papal emblems (sometimes this medal is found en-
circled by a crown of laurels). It is worn on the
breast suspended by a white and yellow ribbon. The
civil merit-medal has engraved on its face surface only
the word benemerenti, surrounded by a crown of
oak leaves. The ribbon is of the papal colours.
Medal of the Holij Land. — This was designed by Leo XIII (Dec. S.C.P.F. 2 May, 1901), who empowered the Custodian of the Holy Land to bestow it upon pilgrims who presented a certificate of good, moral Christian life from their parish priest and a genuinely religious intention in making the journey to the Holy Land. It serves as a testimonial and souvenir of the pilgrimage. The decoration is a cross similar to that of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, save that the four small crosses are crutched instead of being simple of form. A medallion with the inscription leg xiii cre.vvit. anno M.c.M. occupies the centre of the large cross. On each branch of the large cross are graven figures of the .Annunciation, Nativity, Baptism of C'hrist, and Last Supper respectively. On the crutched-shaped ex- tremities are the words, christi amor crucifixi TRAXiT Nos. On the reverse side of the cross, the figure of Christ appears in the centre of the medallion. On the branches are representations of the Agony in the Garden, Flagellation, Crowning with Thorns and Crucifixion, and on the extremities of the branches the
words .SIGNUM SACRI ITINERIS HIERSOLIMITANI. It is
worn on the left breast suspended from a red ribbon with four small blue transverse bars bordered with white, which in turn are edged with dark yellow. There are three classes of medals: gold, silver, and bronze, adapted to the condition of pilgrims and the services they have rendered to the Holy Land. The recipient must pay the cost of the medal and be.stow an alms of at least two dollars towards the maintenance of the Holy Places. Each year the custodian must inform the "Propaganda how many decorations have been be- stowed and the amount of the alms given (Dec. S. C. P.P., 10 June, 1901).
Popes Pius VII and Pius IX conferred special dec- orations which were temporary and not permanent. The former bestowed a medal for military bravery, and another for zeal and courage in stamping out the brigandage, which had taken such hold in the Papal States during the seven years of the French occupa- tion. The latter conferred the Mentana and Castel- fidardo medals upon the papal and French soldiers who came to his help at those places.
Pontifical decorations are bestowed either by motu propria, and then forwarded by the secretary of state, or upon petition, when they are expedited through the chancery. The most certain and expeditious mode of procuring the coveted decoration is by a petition from the bishop of the diocese of the person to be hon- oured. The petition must state the name, age, coun- trj', in short, a brief history of the life of the applicant, bringing out in relief the eminent labours or work in science, literature, arts, controvei'sial or other religious writings, or generous and self-sacrificing gifts or en- dowments made or done for society, the Church or its head, which are deemed worthy of papal recognition and reward. This petition must be endorsed by the ordinary of the applicant. The endorsement of another than the diocesan bishop will not suffice. The petition is sent to an agent at Rome, who presents it to the cardinal chancellor of the orders, who not only registers the petition and the endorsement of it by the bishop, but also seeks information from other sources as to the character of the party and his eminent good works.
Moroni, Diz., XI. 6 sqq.; XVIII, 210 sqq. ; XLIX, 81 sqg.j
LXIV, 91 sqq.; LXVIII, 238 sqq. Giobbio. Lezioni di diplo-
Ttiazia ecclesiastica (Rome, 1S99J, Part I, lib. I, cap. x, art. iv,
.514 sqq.; Andbe-W.\gner, Diet, de Droit Canoniqiie. Ill, 83,
501; IV, 361; Battandier, .4(171. Pant. Calh., 1901, 483 sqq.;
1902, 468 sqq.; 1908, 646 sq. For list of knigiits of all the de«-
orations see Ann. for 1905. 1907, and 190S; Pti IX P. M. Acta,
Part I. 43 sq., 195 sq. ; IV. 391 sq. ; Bern.isconi, Acta Gregorii
papm XVI, I, 48; III. 179 sq. ; Analecta Ecclesiastica (Rome,
1905), 99 sq.; 1907. 189; Leoms XIII. Pont. Max. Ada (Rome),
VIII, 259, 282; XXI. 74. P. M. J. RoCK.
Decree (Lat. decretiim, from decerno, I judge), in a general sense, an order or law made by a superior au- thority for the direction of others. In ecclesiastical use it has various meanings. Any papal Bull, Brief, or Motu Proprio is a decree inasmuch as these docu- ments are legislative acts of the Holy Father. In this sense the term is quite ancient. Pope Siricius speaks (Ep. i, ad Himer., c. ii) of the decreta generalia of Pope Liberius. The Roman Congregations are em- powered to issue decrees in matters which come under their particular jurisdiction. Each ecclesiastical province, and also each diocese may issue decrees in their periodical synods within their sphere of author- ity. The word is also used to denote certain specified collections of church law, e. g. The Decree of Gratian (Deeretum Gratiani). In respect of the general legis- lative acts of the pope there is never doubt as to the universal extent of the obligation; the same may be said of the decrees of a General Council, e. g. those of the Vatican Council. The Council of Trent was the first to apply the term indiscriminately to rulings con- cerning faith and discipline (decreta de fide, de reforma- tione). The decrees of the Roman Congregations (q. V.) are certainly binding in each case submitted for judgment. But there are varying opinions as to whether such judgment is to be taken as a rule or gen- eral law applying to all similar cases. The common opinion is that when the decisions are enlargements of the law {declaratio e:ctensiva legis) the decisions do not bind except in the particular case for which the decree is made. If, however, the decision is not an enlarge- ment, but merely an explanation of the law {declaratio comprehensiva Icgis), such decree binds in similar cases. The decrees of a national council may not be promulgated until they have received the approval of the pope. The decrees of a provincial synod have no force until they have been approved by Rome. This approval is twofold: ordmary {in fomifi. communi), and specific (in jormd specified). The former means that there is nothing which needs correction in the de- crees of the synod, and they thereby have force in the province. This is the approval generally given to such decrees. If approval is given in jormd specified the decrees have the same force as if they emanated from the Apostolic See, though they are binding only in the province for which they are made. The decrees of a diocesan bishop deal with the administration and good order of his diocese. If they are made during a synod, they are diocesan laws, are usually known as "diocesan statutes", or "synodal statutes", and bind until revoked by the bishop or his successor. If the decrees are extra-synodal, they have force only during the lifetime of the bishop or until he revokes them himself. For the so-called " Decretmn Gelasianum" see Gelasius I. For the use of judici:U decreta in canonical procedm-e see Permaneder in Ktrchenlexi- kon. III, 1442-44. (See Constitutions, Ecclesi- a.stical; Rescripts.)
T.\UNTON, Tlic Law of the Ctiurch (London. 1906); Smith, Elements of Ecclesiastical Law (New York, 1886); Benedict XIV, De Synodo dicscesand; Bouix, De Principiis Juris Canon' id; Ferr-^ris, Theoria et praxis regiminis diaecesani.
David Dunford.
Decrees, Ecclesiastical. See Constitutions, Ecclesiastical.
Decretals, Papal. — I. Definition and Eaklt History. — (1) In the wide sense of the term decre- talis (i. e. epistola decrctalis) signifies a pontifical letter
