PAPAL COURT. - A name introduced in the 12th century, since previously there existed no distinctions between: the Pontifical Court, the Court of Rome, the Holy See and the Apostolic See. From the moment it began to be used it was disapproved of by many, as, for example, by Gerhoh, provost of Reichersberg (d. 27 June 1169).
Zaccaria writes that cardinals, prelates and ministers form the Pontifical Court. But Moroni rightly observes (s. v. Curia romana, in Diz. di erudiz. storico eccles., XIX) that one must have clear ideas about it, since misunderstandings can arise. For example, De Luca in ch. 1 of his Relatio Romanae Curiae enumerated as the last members of the Roman Curia those persons who assist and serve the pontiff, the cardinals and the prelates, and who are called by the common people courtiers. The Pontifical Court, which De Luca calls the aulic curia, would be nothing other than a part of the Roman Curia, which has an exclusive connection with aulic, that is, court, ceremonies and rites. In all this, however, there is nothing discordant or equivocal, since this name can be taken either in an extensive sense, and then one adheres to the formation of the Pontifical Court as Zaccaria sets it out, or in a restrictive sense, and then one agrees with De Luca's writing.
It is not so much the use of this name that must be disapproved of as the abuse that was made of it later, when, by distinguishing the Court from the Roman See, a way was found to vent the most wretched venom against the Apostolic See. It is easy to understand how this abuse was very common in the times of the Protestant Reformation, that is, when the innovators raged against the Holy See, contemptuously called the Court of Rome.
Gradually, however, even this name entered into good common usage, and in the middle of the 17th century Girolamo Lunadoro brought out, from the presses of Andrea Fei in Bracciano, his Relazione della C. di Roma, in which are contained truthful notices of the various offices that make up this Court. The name, however, was rarely used officially. In fact, in the semi-official publication La gerarchia cattolica e la famiglia pontificia, published in Rome by the Monaldi brothers, it is alluded to only when giving the Indirizzi dei dignitari e primari ufficiali cardinali, prelati, laici, ecc. della c. p. e Curia romana. Such mention was repeated until a few years ago in the Annuario pontificio, the official publication of the Holy See, but now it has disappeared entirely. It is, however, found used in art. 10 of the Lateran Treaty, and in the Protocol between the Holy See and Italy of 6 Sept. 1932, which also gives a list of the offices of which the Pontifical Court is composed.