Creating Diocese of Sultanpet in India by Pope Francis (28/12/2013)

“Cum ad aeternam”: Erection of the Diocese of Sultanpet in India (28 December 2013)

FRANCIS BISHOP
SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD
TO THE PERPETUAL MEMORY OF THE THING

APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION

SULTANPETENSIS

IN INDIA THE NEW DIOCESE OF SULTANPETENIS IS ESTABLISHED

Since for the eternal fostering of the welfare of the Lord’s flock and its government, it was recently requested that the Diocese of Coimbatore and the Diocese of Calicut, in India, be divided, so that the territory of the civil district of Palakkadto be removed from the aforementioned dioceses and established in a new diocese, the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Gentiles, having considered all early and having been equally favorable to the vow of the Venerable Brother Salvator Pennacchio, Archbishop of Monti Marani and Apostolic Messenger in India, decided to accept the request put forward for the good of souls. We, therefore, the Successor of the blessed Peter and the universal Father, willingly approve such a decision, and we decree this with our highest Apostolic authority. From the aforementioned dioceses of Coimbatore and Calicut we separate the territory of the civil district of Palakkad; and from it we establish a new diocese of Sultanpet, to be called “Sultanpet” in the local language, which we make a suffragette of the Metropolitan See of Verapolitana and submit to the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Gentiles. Furthermore, we order the seat of the Bishop to be placed in the city of Palakkad , and the Church standing there, dedicated to God in honor of Saint Sebastian, raised to the dignity of the cathedral of the church; but the rest shall be controlled according to the canonical laws. The aforesaid Venerable Brother Salvator Pennacchio will bring to a conclusion what we have prescribed; who, after the matter has been done, will take care to draw up documents and send sincere examples to the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Gentiles. Finally, we want this Apostolic Constitution to be ratified now and in the future, notwithstanding any contrary things.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, on the twelfth day of the month of December, in the year of the Lord two thousand and thirteen, the first of our Pontificate .

By order of the Supreme Pontiff
Peter Parolin,
Secretary of State

Original Latin Text

Cum ad aeternam fovendam dominici gregis salutem eiusque regimini facilius et efficacius consulendum petitum esset nuper ut dioecesis Coimbaturensis et dioecesis Calicutensis, in India, dividerentur, ita ut territorium districtus civilis Palakkad a memoratis dioecesibus abstraheretur et in novam dioecesim constitueretur, Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelizatione, omnibus mature perpensis habitoque pariter faventi voto Venerabilis Fratris Salvatoris Pennacchio, Archiepiscopi titulo Montis Marani atque in India Apostolici Nuntii, admotam postulationem, in bonum animarum cessuram, censuit esse accipiendam. Nos igitur, Successor beati Petri et universalis Pater, talem sententiam libentes ratam habemus atque summa Apostolica Nostra potestate haec decernimus. A memoratis dioecesibus Coimbaturensi et Calicutensi separamus territorium districtus civilis Palakkad; ex eoque novam condimus dioecesim Sultanpetensem, lingua loci « Sultanpet » appellandam, quam metropolitanae Sedi Verapolitanae suffraganeam facimus atque iurisdictioni Congregationis pro Gentium Evangelizatione subicimus. Praeterea iubemus Episcopi sedem poni in civitate Palakkad templumque ibidem exstans, Deo in honorem Sancti Sebastiani dicatum, ad dignitatem Cathedralis ecclesiae evehimus; cetera vero secundum canonicas leges temperentur. Quae praescripsimus perducet ad exitum praedictus Venerabilis Frater Salvator Pennacchio; qui, re acta, curabit documenta exaranda sincerisque exemplis Congregationi pro Gentium Evangelizatione mittenda. Hanc denique Apostolicam Constitutionem nunc et in posterum ratam esse volumus, contrariis quibuslibet rebus non obstantibus.

Datum Romae, apud S. Petrum, die duodetricesimo mensis Decembris, anno Domini bis millesimo decimo tertio, Pontificatus Nostri primo.

De mandato Summi Pontificis
Petrus Parolin
Secretarius Status