The Pastoral Dimension of the Office of Papal Representatives

The article is taken from notes for the Provost Lecture given at The Catholic University of America on 19 March 2015. After a very brief review of the use of emissaries by the Holy Father, Archbishop Broglio examines the motu proprio Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum and its implementation over the last forty-six years. While the document is examined, the author places an important emphasis on the pastoral nature of this service and its lived reality in the Church. The canonical analysis also includes a presentation of the legislation that has changed the original document, but these changes are relatively insignificant considering the dramatic changes in the world around the Church since 1969.