Papal bull

A Papal bull is a special kind of patent or charter issued by a pope and named for the seal (bulla) that was appended to the end to authenticate it. Papal bulls were originally issued by the pope for many kinds of communication of a public nature, but after the 15th century, only for the more formal or solemn of occasions. Modern scholars have retroactively used the term "bull" to describe any elaborate papal document issued in the form of a decree or privilege (solemn or simple), and to some less elaborate ones issued in the form of a letter. Popularly, the name is used for any papal document that contains a metal seal.

Examples of papal bulls

• Omne Datum Optimum, 1139 (recognizing the Knights Templar)
• Milites Templi, 1144—Celestine II (granting privileges to the Templars)
• Militia Dei, 1145—Eugenius III (granting more privileges to the Templars)
• Quantum praedecessores, 1145—Eugenius III (calling for the Second Crusade)
• Audita tremendi, 1187—Gregory VIII (calling for the Third Crusade
• Ad extirpanda, May 15, 1252—Innocent IV (authorizing torture of heretics)
• Clericis Laicos, 1296—Boniface VIII (prohibiting seizure of clerical revenues by the state)
• Unam Sanctam, 1302—Boniface VIII (supremacy of the Church over the state)
• Fasciens misericordiam, 1308—Clement V
• Regnans in coelis, 1308—Clement V
• Cum inter nonnullos, 1323—Pope John XXII (rejecting the Franciscan doctrine of the poverty of Christ)
• Dum diversas, 1452—Pope Nicholas V (authorizing Alfonso V of Portugal to enslave infidels in West Africa)
• Romanus Pontifex 1455—Pope Nicholas V (follow up to Dum diversas, authorizing conquest and enslavement of all people south of Cape Bojador)
• Aeterni regis, 1481—Sixtus IV (dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal)
• Summis desiderantes, 1484—Innocent VIII (suppressing witchcraft along the Rhein river).
• Inter caetera, 1493—Alexander VI (realigning the New World division between Spain and Portugal)
• Exsurge Domine, 1520—Leo X (warning Martin Luther)
• Docet Romanum Pontificem, 1521—Leo X (excommunicating Martin Luther)
• Sublimis Deus, June 2, 1537—Pope Paul III (all but revoked the following year, on orders of Charles V)
• Regimini militantis, September 27, 1540—Paul III (establishing the Jesuits)
• Injunctum nobis, March 14, 1543—Paul III
• In Coena Domini, 1568—Pius V
• Regnans in Excelsis, 1570—Pius V (anathemising Elizabeth I)
• Inter gravissimas, 1582—Gregory XIII (calendar reform)
• Immensa Aeterni Dei, 1588—Pope Sixtus V
• Gratia Divina, 1656
• Unigenitus, 1713—Clement XI (condemning Jansenism)
• Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum, 1814—Pope Pius VII (re-establishing the Jesuits after the suppression)
• Quanta cura, 1864—Pope Pius IX (introducing the Syllabus errorum)
• Pastor aeternus, 1871—Pope Pius IX from the First Vatican Council (papal infallibility)
• Munificentissimus Deus, 1950—Pope Pius XII (defining the dogma of the Assumption of Mary)
• Dei Verbum, 1965—Pope Paul VI from the Second Vatican Council