The Roman Rota, formally the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota (Latin: Tribunal Apostolicum Rotae Romanae), and anciently the Apostolic Court of Audience, is the highest appellate tribunal of the Catholic Church, with respect to both Latin Church members[1] and the Eastern Catholic members[2] and is the highest ecclesiastical court constituted by the Holy See related to judicial trials conducted in the Catholic Church.[3] An appeal may be had to the pope himself, who is the supreme ecclesiastical judge.[4] The Catholic Church has a complete legal system, which is the oldest in the West still in use.[5] The court is named Rota (wheel) because the judges, called auditors, originally met in a round room to hear cases.[6] The Rota emerged from the Apostolic Chancery starting in the 12th century.[7]
- ^ Codex Iuris Canonici [CIC] canons 1443, 1444.
- ^ Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium [CCEO] canon 1065.
- ^ See John Paul II, ap. con. Pastor Bonus art. 121, 80 Acta Apostolicae Sedis 841 (1988) (noting that the Apostolic Signatura is the supreme tribunal)
- ^ 1983 CIC, can. 1442
- ^ Wacks, Raymond (2015). Law: A Very Short Introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 15.
- ^ Peters, Edward (7 January 2013). "Canon Law—Canonistics—Rota Background". CanonLaw.info. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Tribunale della Rota Romana". www.rotaromana.va (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-06-12.