教宗使节的历史源流及当代形式

Historical Origins and Contemporary Forms of Pontifical Legates

教宗使节(Legatus Pontificis)的历史起源,涉及三种不同的形式:教宗派驻大公会议和主教会议之代表,罗马主教派驻特定传教地区的宗座代牧(Vicario Apostolico),以及教宗派驻东罗马帝国宫廷的代表(Apocrisiarius)。早期教宗使节多涉足纯宗教或教会内部事务,而随着16世纪派驻各个世俗国家政权的代表的逐渐出现,之前的教宗代表逐渐向宗座大使(Nunzio Apostolico)过渡。到了20世纪,尤其是"梵二"大公之后,教宗使节的职能所具有的双重维度(教会职能和外交职能)得到了日益清晰和明确的界定。从教会法角度而言,"梵二"大公会议将罗马主教在世界主教团的首席职务放在了主教共融的中心地位,从而为教宗使节在地方教会主教面前的作用和职责确定了新的标准。从外交关系角度而言,圣座对现代组织制度和国家关系的接纳和融入,使得圣座的外交事务也重新涉足国际关系的公共领域,但是,圣座始终强调教宗使节与其他国家外交使节在角色和职能上的基本差异。

The historical origins of the Pontifical legates(Legatus Pontificis)are involved with three different forms:papal representatives to the Councils and the various Synods,apostolic vicar(Vicario Apostolico)sent by the Bishop of Rome in particular missions,as well as the particular representatives(Apocrisiarius)sent to the court of the Eastern Roman Empire.The early papal legates were mostly involved with pure religious or ecclesial internal affairs.However,as the representatives assigned to various secular state authorities in the 16 th century gradually emerged,the previous papal legates became Nuncio little by little.By the 20 th century,especially after the Council of VaticanⅡ,the dual dimension of papal legates(ecclesiastical function and diplomatic function)had been increasingly clearly defined.In the aspect of Canon law,the Council of Vatican II placed the primate of the bishop of Rome in the College of Bishops at the center of the episcopal communion,thus setting new standards for the role and duties of papal legates in the presence of local church bishops.In the aspect of diplomatic relations,the acceptance and integration of the Holy See by and with the modern organizational system and state relations has made the Holy See’s diplomatic affairs re-enter the public domain of international relations.However,the Holy See has always emphasized the fundamental differences between the roles and functions of papal legates and those of diplomatic envoys from other countries.