Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/849

 PETITE

777

PETRA

nonir;iI treatise; "Saneti Patris Ignatii de Loyola ex- (Tcitia spiritualia tertio probationis anno per mensem .1 Patribus Societatis Jesu obeunda" (Prague, 1755;

I'aris, 1889).

ZiEGELBAi^ER, Historia rei literarite 0. S B. (Augsburg, 1754), III, 4S5-7, II, 154-.5; Calmet, Bibl. Lorraine (Nancy, 1751), 724-
 * i,"i: Hdrter, Nomenclator literarius (Innsbruck, 1910), llOS-10;

SoMMERVOGEL, Bibt. dc ta Compagnie de Jesus, IV (Brussels,

1S95), r.24-7. Michael Ott.

Petite Eglise, La. See Namur, Diocese of.

Petitions to the Holy See. — I. Mode of Peti- tioning. — Faculties, indults, dispensations, and other favours, the granting of wliieh is reserved to the Holy See, must be asked by means of a petition in writing presented to the sovereign pontiff, regularly through the medium of one of the Sacred Congregations of the Roman Curia. Under the new constitution of the Ro- man Curia by Pius X, any private person may person- ally approach and petition the Holy See. But it is always well, and often necessary, to present commend- atory letters of the petitioner's ordinary, as in the case of faculties, dispensations, and such like. It is also frequently advisable to make use of an agent in Rome, who can attend to the matter personally. For this purpose any trustworthy man may be chosen, pro- vided he be acceptable to the Sacred Congregation with which he has to treat. (Cf. Const., "Sapienti Consiho", Norms communes, c. ix.)

II. Form and Contents of the Petition. — The petition should be written on a double sheet of white paper of the foolscap or large quarto size; and the text should pass, if its length renders this neces- sary, from the first to the second page, and so on, aa in a printed book, no intermediate page being left blank. The official languages of the Curia are still Latin, Italian, and French; but documents in English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese are now authorized (cf. Const. "Sapienti Consilio", Norma? peculiares, c. vi., n. 5.). It is fitting, however, that petitions sent by episcopal curia; and by eccle- siastics in general, and those that have reference to the sacraments, should be written in the Church's official language, Latin. The petition should be ad- dressed to the pope himself, and should therefore be- gin with the words "Beatissime Pater" (Most Holy Father). The petitioner should then give his full name, place of residence, and diocese. (These are omitted in petitions to the Sacred Penitentiary.) Next should follow a clear and concise statement of the fa- vour desired, the reasons for the petition, and all the information necessary to enable the Holy See to arrive at its decision. The omission of material facts or the commission of substantial errors in the petition may invalidate the dispensation or indult granted. Thus, petitions for matrimonial dispensations must express: (1) the Christian names and surnames of the petition- ers; (2) the diocese of origin or actual domicile; (3) the exact nature of the impediment; (4) the degree of con- sanguinity, aflinity, etc.; (5) the number of the im- pediments; (6) various circumstances (Instruction of S. Congr. Of Propaganda, 9 May, 1877). The petition should not be concluded in the form of a letter, but with the abbreviated formula "Et Deus, etc." or "Quare, etc." At the foot of the petition the address of the person to whom the reply is to be sent (if it is not to be transmitted through an agent) should be written.

III. Destination op Various Petitions. — All petitions in matrimonial cases are dealt with by the Congr. de disciplina Sacramentorum, except those that have to do with the internal forum (i. e., confes- sional and occult cases), which go to the Sacred Peni- tentiary, and those into which the impediment mixtw relioionix or disparitati-s cullns enters, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy Office. The Congr. de disciplina Sacr.amentorum has charge, too, of all else connected with the sacraments and the Mass, with the exception of their rites and ceremonies, the

regulation of which belongs to the Congregation of Rites. Hence petitions for the solution of liturgical difficulties should be sent to the latter Congregation; petitions, e. g., for a private oratory, reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, non-fasting communion, etc., to the former. The Congregation of the Council deals with petitions relating to the commandments of the Church, ecclesiastical discipline, confraternities, and the administration of church property. All matters concerning religious, whether individuals or communi- ties, with one or two exceptions, are in the hands of the Congr. de Religiosis. Finally, all the business of those countries which still remain subject to the Congr. of Propaganda, is transacted through that Congregation, with the exception of the affairs of re- ligious as such.

ConstHuHo Sapienti Consilio: Normce communes et peculiares in Acta Apostolicw Sedis, I, 7; Cappello, De Curia Romana juxta reformationem a Pio X sapientissime inductam, I (Rome, 1911), ii, 3; KoNTNGS-PuTZER, C ommentarium in facuUates apostolicas (New York, 1898), 63-8; Gasparri, De matrimonio, I (Paris, i904), iii, 4, § 2, 3**: De Becker, De sp07isalibus et matrimonio (Louvain, 1903), 'sect, v, c. iii, §§ 1,2 ; Zitelli, De dispensationibxts matrimonialibus (Rome, 1887), iv. ChARLES CrONIN.

Petra, titular metropolitan see of Palaestina Tertia. Under the name of Sela (the rock) this region is de- scribed in Abdias (i, 3 sqq.) as an eagle's nest on the mountain top. It is also referred to in Isaias (xlii, 11), IV Kings (xiv, 7), and II Par. (xx-v, 11). In the two last-mentioned passages it is related that towards the end of the ninth century B. c. Amasias, King of Jerusalem, vanquished the Edomites, captured Sela, and cast from "the steep of a rock" 10,000 captives, who were dashed to pieces. He then called Sela loqteel (Jectehel), of which there is no trace in history. If these Biblical texts really relate to Petra, others in which there is mention of Sela refer to other localities. Petra was not then the capital city of the Kingdom of Edom. This rank was held by Bosra, and Petra seems to have been a city of refuge whither in times of danger the chieftains fled with their treasures and dwelt in the caverns as in houses.

When the Rock was spoken of in 312 B. c. by Diodorus Siculus (XIX, 94-100), it was no longer inhabited by Edomites, who had been crowded into Southern Pales- tine, but by Arabian merchants, the Nabataeans or the Nabajoth of the Bible (Gen., xxv, 13; xxviii,9; x.\xvi,3; Is., Ix, 7). It is difficult to determine when they be- gan to occupy the region. When conquered by Asur- banipal (64 B.C.), the Nabaitu were a powerful North- Arabian tribe which had fought its way as far as the countries of Edom, Moab, and Ammon. In the fourth century B. c. the Nabataeans were masters of the country and served as commercial intermediaries be- tween Arabia and Egypt, and between Arabia and Syria. The wealth secured in Petra attracted the covetousness of Athenes, general of Antigonus (312 B. c). He took it by surprise in the absence of the men, who on their return surprised the Greeks, massa- cred them, and sent presents to Antigonus that they might be free to continue their commerce. A sec- ond attempt, made by Demetrius, son of Antigonus, was equally unsuccessful (Diod. Sic, XIX, 94-100). There was then formed a Nabata;an kingdom of which Petra was the capital and which extended from Arabia FeUx to Hauran. The first known king was Aretas I (II Mach., V, 8). The following, according to M. Dussandin the "Journal Asiatique" (Paris, 1904, pp. 1S9-33S), is the fist of known sovereigns: Aretas I (169 B. c); Aretas II (110-96); Obodas I (about 90); Rabel I (about 87); Aretas III (87-62); Obodas II (about 62-47); MaUchus I (about 47-.30); Oboda.s III (30-9); Aretas IV (9 b. c.-a. d.40); Malichus II (40- 75); Rabel II (75-101); Malichus III (101-106). Aretas III gave Petra its Gra>co-Roman character. From his reign and that of ,\retas IV date most of the beautiful buildings still jircserved. Petra was defi- nitely annexed to the Roman Empire in A. D. 106 by