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 NUNCIO

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NUNCIO

In Cologne a nunciature was erected in 1584 for north- western Germany and the Rhine, but in 1596 the Netherlands was detached from the Nunciature of Co- logne and received its own nuncio, who was to reside in Brussels (Nunciature of Flanders). The jurisdiction of the Nunciature of Flanders extended also to the English missions. Thus, toward the end of the six- teenth century, nunciatures were fully developed.

A dispute concerning the rights of the pope in the erecting of nunciatures and the competency of the nuncios themselves arose in 1785, when Pius VI deter- mined to establish a new nunciature in Munich at the request of Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria. The elector desired the appointment of a special nuncio, because princes subject to the emperor alone were bishops of Bavarian dioceses, but did not reside in Bavaria, thus greatly impeding the exercise of ecclesi- astical administration. The three spiritual electors (the Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz, and Trier) pro- tested on the ground that thereby their metropolitan rights would be violated. The pope, however, ap- pointed Zoglio, titular Archbishop of Athens, as nun- cio, and to him Charles Theodore ordered his clergy to have recourse in future in all ecclesiastical matters within his jurisdiction. The three electors, imbued with Febronianism (q. v.), formed a coalition with the Archbishop of Salzburg, hoping to recover their pre- tended primitive metropolitan rights by ignoring the nuncio and by giving decisions and granting dispensa- tions on their own authority, even in cases canonically reserved to the pope. As Rome refused to support them, they appealed to Joseph II, who, in accordance with his principles, heartily approved of their efforts, pledged them his full support, declared that he would never allow the jurisdiction of the bishops of the em- pire to be curtailed, and that consequently he would recognize the nuncios only in their political character. At the Congress of Ems (q. v.), the three elector arch- bishops passed resolutions embodying their conten- tions. Despite this protest, Pacca and Zoglio contin- ued to exercise their spiritual jurisdiction in Cologne and Munich respectively, received appeals from the decisions of ecclesiastical courts, and granted dispen- sations in cases reserved to the pope. On the other hand the four archbishops arbitrarily extended their own authority, granting dispensations from solemn religious vows as well as from matrimonial impedi- ments, and erecting ecclesiastical tribunals of third instance. The emperor brought the controversy be- fore the Imperial Diet of Ratisbon in 1788, but with- out definite results. The archbishops, opposed both by the cathedral chapters and the suffragan bishops, renewed communications with the pope, who on l4 Nov., 1789, issued an extensive document giving a de- tailed exposition of the rights of the Holy See and those of its envoys (Ss. D. N. Pii pp. VI. Responsio ad Metropolitanos Moguntino, Treviren., Colonien. et Salisburgen., supre Nuntiaturis apostolicis, Rome, 1789). Frederick William II, King of Prussia, also recognized the jurisdiction of the Nuncio of Cologne in the territory of Cleves, and in Mainz his ambassadors opposed the pretentions of the emperor. The French revolution ended the dispute. Owing to the political development of Italy in the nineteenth century, the papal nunciatures disappeared completely. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire the Imperial German nunciature became the Austrian nunciature, when Francis II assumed the title of Emperor of Aus- tria. The partition of Poland ended the nunciature there. The first state outside of Europe to receive a papal representative was Brazil. At first an inter- nuncio was assigned to that country, but of late years a nuncio has resided there.

At present there are four papal nunciatures of the

first class, four of the second, two internunciatures,

and several delegations. The nunciatures of the first

class are: (1) Menna; (2) Paris, where the nunciature

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was re-established after the Revolution, after Cardi- nal Caprara had first been sent thither as legatus a la- tere by Pius VII. Since the rupture of diplomatic re- lations between France and the Holy See in 1904, this office has had no incumbent; (3) Madrid, which, since the Council of Trent, has been the permanent resi- dence of the papal nuncio for Spain. It has a special tribunal, the Rota, which serves only as a court of ap- peals from the diocesan and metropolitan courts, but cannot handle any cases of first instance. Litigants are free to appeal from its decisions to the sovereign pontiff; (4) Lisbon, which had at first a nunciature only of the second class. It included a special court for ecclesiastical matters, but this was abolished in the beginning of the nineteenth century. From the sec- ond half of the sixteenth century Portugal always had a nuncio, although disputes arose at different times. The nunciatures of the second class are: (1) the Swiss nunciature which, in the eighteenth century, com- prised tlie Dioceses of Constance, Basle, Ciore, Sion, and Lausanne. Since the religious troubles of 1873 there has been no incumbent; (2) since the beginning of the nineteenth century the only nunciature in Ger- many has been that of Munich (the last nuncio of Cologne was Annibale della Genga, later on Pope Leo XII) ; (3) Brussels, the residence of the Nuncio of Bel- gium as successor of the former Nuncio of Flanders. During the time of the French occupation this position was vacant. It was only in 1829 that Coppacini was sent to Brussels as internuncio; in 1841, it was again raised to a nunciature. Fornari, the first nuncio, was succeeded in 1843 by Gioacchino Pecci, afterwards Leo XIII. In 1880 the Liberal Ministry severed all diplomatic relations with the Holy See; the old status was restored, when in 1885 the Catholic party re- gained power; (4) Brazil. In 1807 Lorenzo Caleppi, the Nuncio of Portugal, followed John VI in his flight to Brazil. In 1829 a special internuncio, Felice Os- tini, was appointed for Brazil; this marks the begin- ning of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the other states of South America. In 1902 the papa! Internuncio of Brazil was raised to the dignity of nuncio.

The internunciatures are: (1) the Internunciature of Holland and Luxemburg. Since the separation of these countries, the internuncio receives distinct cre- dential letters for the two governments. From the time of the Peace Conference at the Hague Holland has onl}' a charge d'affaires; (2) the Internunciature of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, which was erected in 1900. There had been accredited to these countries a papal delegate since 1847, and an inter- nuncio, Mgr Barili, had been sent in 1851 to what was then New Granada. The Apostohc delegates form a lower rank of papal representatives of diplomatic and ecclesiastical character. There are five Apostohc Delegations in South and Central America: (1) Chile, (2) Columbia, (3) Costa-Rica, (4) Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, (5) San Domingo, Haiti and Venezuela, all erected during the nineteenth century. Owing to re- peated religious troubles these delegations have often been vacant. Costa-Rica has been without a delegate for a considerable period. It is necessary to distin- guish these Apostolic delegations of a diplomatic char- acter from those which are merely ecclesiastical.

The powers to papal nuncios correspond to the two- fold character of their mission. As the diplomatic representatives of the pope, they treat with the sov- ereigns or head of republics to whom they are accred- ited. With their mission they are given special cre- dentials as well as special instructions, whether of a public or of a private nature. They also receive a secret code and enjoy the same privileges as ambassa- dors. Their appearances in public are regulated in conformity with general diplomatic customs. They also have certain distinctions, especially that of being ex-olficio dean of the entire diplomatic body, within