CLARIFICATIONS ON THE NATURE, OBJECT AND CONTENT OF THE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION OF THE POPES
CLARIFICATIONS ON THE NATURE, OBJECT AND CONTENT OF THE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION OF THE POPES

Summary/Abstract: The legal-canonical domain of the Catholic Church has fascinated secular law researchers for centuries, mainly in the fields of public international law or family law. A very interesting topic worth analyzing, closely related to the notion of „succession” in civil law, is that of the succession to the Apostolic Throne of the Catholic Church, more precisely to the title of Pope. The fascination of such an approach is given on the one hand by the solemnity of such an act, but above all by the special character of the contents of such a canonical-legal institution – the papal succession. Even if we are not talking about a hereditary succession (by birth) or legatee, but through a consecrated formula of „choice”, this does not in any way impugn the quality of „heir”, but, on the contrary, it consecrates to the chosen one the right to inherit the prerogatives of St. Peter, the first bishop of Rome. The present study aims to present a series of new information that interests both international law regarding the Pope's status as head of state and religious leader as well as other branches of law.

• Details
• Contents