INTIMATION. – This term designates the act by which a summons to appear in court is notified. It is in criminal matters that this term finds its fullest application, although it is not found in the CIC in its original wording, but rather in its derived form: its origin goes back to Roman sources (cf. Cod. Iust., p. 40, 1).
In the present definition, mention has been made only of a summons because this is the most common case, but it is not excluded that the i. may also be used to notify other judicial acts. The person designated by law to execute these legal precepts is the cursor (can. 1591). Only for a summons are mandatory norms determined for the i.; these are remedied by the appearance of the summoned party (cann. 1715–22). The CIC also uses this term to indicate the act by which a collegiate juridical person notifies the person elected of his election (can. 175). A. Blat, Commentarium textus codicis iuris canonici, I, Rome 1921, p. 146) asserts that this prescription does not apply to religious when ecclesiastical offices of their Order are concerned, and supports this assertion with the passage of Boniface VIII (c. 27, De electione, I, 6 in 6°); this opinion cannot be accepted, since the fragment speaks only of the consent of the Superior, required in order to accept offices outside the Order or religious house. Moreover, the i. is also required for deprivation of an ecclesiastical office (can. 192 § 3). Van Hove (De privilegiis et de dispensationibus, Malines 1939, p. 52) uses this term for the act by which a privilege is notified, although he does not admit that notification of the privilege is required for its efficacy, as other authors maintain; he also uses this term for notification of the revocation of a privilege (op. cit., p. 211), and admits the necessity of notification of revocation for a dispensation: it may be carried out by letter, through third parties, or orally.
Special mention should be made of the Intimatio which the prefect of Apostolic Ceremonies customarily sends, «de mandato Sanctissimi D. N. Papa», to the cardinals and to all prelates who have the privilege of attending the sacred functions of the Pontifical Chapel. In it, besides the time and place, the appropriate dress for each function is also specified. The i. is customarily sent not only for liturgical solemnities, but also for concelebrations and other special gatherings. During a vacancy of the Holy See, the i. is issued by order of the cardinal camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church or of the cardinal dean of the Sacred College, according to their respective competences.