| Ingravescentem aetatem Latin for 'The advanced age' Motu proprio of Pope Paul VI | |
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| Signature date | 21 November 1970 |
| Subject | On the retirement age for Cardinals |
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1970 motu proprio issued by Pope Paul VI
Ingravescentem aetatem (Ecclesiastical Latin: [iŋɡraveˈʃentem eˈtatem]) is a document issued by Pope Paul VI, dated 21 November 1970. It is divided into 8 chapters. The Latin title is taken from the incipit, and translates to "advancing age". It established a rule that only cardinals who have not reached the age of 80 can participate in a conclave.
In 2013, when Pope Benedict XVI announced his plan to resign as pope, he described his reasoning with the same phrase: ingravescente aetate.[1]
- ^ Faggioli, Massimo (2015). Pope Francis: Tradition in Transition. Paulist Press. ISBN 9781587684159. Retrieved 30 October 2017.