What is a rescript? Today this term, mentioned in all known explanatory dictionaries, has several meanings. A word of Latin origin can mean both the act of rewriting a document and the result of this action; as a decree or an official announcement, as well as a written answer of the Roman emperor to the question of the magistrate about the peculiarities of the interpretation of a particular law. On the historical spectrum, a rescript is also a written interpretation of a discipline or doctrine given by a pope or other religious authority with sufficient authority.
Document entity
Everyone can ask a question or express their doubts about the correct understanding of biblical texts. Moreover, a rescript is a paper that can contain not only the interpretation of the sacred books, but also the responses of the pope to requests or petitions of an administrative nature. Sometimes such documents give permission for any legal action. In some cases, writing and publishing them is equated with the administration of justice. A petition sent to Rome must consist of three parts:
- narrative about the current situation or just listing the facts;
- directly request;
- justification of the reasons for making this request to the head of the church.
A rescript is a serious official document, and therefore the answer to it is also always structured and consists of similar fragments: a summary of the case, resolution, justification for the conclusion adopted by the pope.
Features
In each case, it is presumed that the pure truth is stated in the request of the interested person. Deliberate lies or concealment of the truth invalidate the document, because in accordance with the divine commandments, no one should take advantage of fraudulently.
A rescript is a decision made by the pope in accordance with the laws, and therefore it has the force of a legal act in relation to the person involved (the petitioner). If the content of the document somehow contradicts the law, the corresponding clause is written in it: "Despite all the contradictory circumstances." The text always has a strictly direct meaning, and the instructions of the pope are mandatory.
