Appointment ‘quite an honor’ for Archbishop Burke

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has appointed St. Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke to the Vatican’s supreme court.

The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura hears final appeals of decisions by Vatican administrators and offices known as congregations, including marriage tribunals, and ensures that justice is administered correctly, according to "Pastor Bonus," a 1988 document by Pope John Paul II.

Archbishop Burke will remain archbishop of St. Louis and will occasionally travel to Rome for the court’s business. He served as a legal expert for the court from 1989-94 and was named a new member on July 8.

His appointment was believed to be the first time a person from the St. Louis Archdiocese had been named to the Vatican high court.

"It’s quite an honor for me, having served those who were the judges of the tribunal, now to be appointed to it," Archbishop Burke said July 10 in a telephone interview from near Munich, Germany, where he was attending a biannual meeting of German and American theologians. "It’s a service to our Holy Father; the whole point is to help him out," Archbishop Burke said.

He returned to St. Louis July 12.

The 15 members of the Apostolic Signatura are all bishops with training in canon law. Archbishop Burke stressed that the court’s work involved more than just handing down "cold legal decisions."

"The Signatura serves a very important function in promoting reconciliation and peace within the Church. Efforts are made to bring a peaceful resolution," the archbishop said.

The Apostolic Signatura recently declined to hear an appeal by the Association of Catholic Elementary Educators (ACEE) of a 2005 decision by the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education upholding Archbishop Burke’s ruling that only the Parish Teacher Committee represent teachers at local Catholic elementary schools.

Archbishop Burke said he would excuse himself from any Signatura case involving the St. Louis Archdiocese.

The court’s deliberations are conducted in Latin and their decisions are also written in that language, the archbishop said. While the court’s sessions are in Rome, its members are sent information on upcoming cases so that they are well prepared, Archbishop Burke said.

The archbishop was appointed to the court after his name was submitted to the pope by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the court’s prefect, based on nominations he had received, Archbishop Burke said. The archbishop said he didn’t know who nominated him for court membership.

The two other American members of the Apostolic Signatura are Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York and Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Ill.

Msgr. John Shamleffer, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Clayton and the judicial vicar of the archdiocese, said the appointment was a testament to the archbishop’s ability.

"It’s a recognition of his knowledge of the law and his academic acumen," Msgr. Shamleffer said. "It’s an important job, making sure rights are protected and overseeing tribunals," he added.

Msgr. Shamleffer said the Vatican supreme court traced its roots to the 16th century and received its current formal name in 1908. He said the use of the term "signatura" refers to the historical need of the pope’s signature in resolving disputed cases.

Also named to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura last week were Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education; and Archbishop Luis Martinez Sistach of Barcelona, Spain.

Information for this story was provided by Catholic News Service, Vatican News Service and Review Editor James Rygelski.

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