The Sovereign Voice issue 4 | Page 72

THE PAPAL BULLS’ INFAMOUS LEGACY: “DOCTRINE [Note from the author: This article is not a broad stroke denunciation of Roman Catholicism — far from it. There are many fine Catholics, good people with big hearts. However, we must be aware that there are dark — very dark — moments in the Vatican’s history when it certainly did not live up to its own high moral standards. The following exposes pure truth in an honest, resolute look at shadowy timelines in world history known as the Papal Bulls and their subsequent 500-year doctrine, a “Doctrine of Discovery.”] the Pope, each and every Papal Bull is deliberate and conscious, considered by the Vatican to be absolute original law for all eternity. These include statutory decrees, dogmatic pronouncements, canonizations of saints, conferring titles to bishops, episcopal appointments, dispensations, excommunications, apostolic constitutions, convocations, etc. Papal Bull of Pope Urban VIII, 1637 CE, sealed with a leaden bulla Bull — the word has connotations, yes? For your consideration in this brief article, we shall explore the legal fiction principle “Doctrine of Discovery”, providing an initial eye-opening history and evolutionary root of Bulla Pontificum, the Papal Bull: a highest proclamation document issued by a Roman Pontiff (pope). WHAT IS A PAPAL BULL? The Papal Bull is a formal statement, decree, charter, edict or order that is legally binding as a command or decision entered on the papal court record (as if entered by a court or judge). Still issued today by TheSovereignVoice.Org Image Source