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{{Short description|Title in the Catholic Church's Roman Curia}}
[[File:Protonotary Apostolic COA template.svg|thumb|Generic coat of arms of a protonotary apostolic]]
{{Catholic Church Hierarchy|Administrative and pastoral titles}}
{{canon law}}

In the [[Catholic Church]], '''protonotary apostolic'''  ('''PA'''; [[Latin]]: ''protonotarius apostolicus'') is the title for a member of the highest non-[[episcopal polity|episcopal]] college of [[prelate]]s in the [[Roman Curia]] or, outside Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the [[pope]] has conferred this title and its special privileges. An example is [[Prince Georg of Bavaria]] (1880–1943), who became in 1926 protonotary by papal decree.

==History==
In [[late antiquity]], there were in [[Rome]] seven regional [[notarius|notaries]] who, on the further development of the [[Papal States|papal administration]] and the accompanying increase of the notaries, remained the supreme palace notaries of the papal chancery (''notarii apostolici'' or ''[[protonotarii]]'').<ref name=Kirsch>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12503a.htm Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Prothonotary Apostolic." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. {{PD-notice}}</ref>

In the Middle Ages, the protonotaries were very high papal officials and were often raised directly from this office to the [[cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]]ate.<ref>[https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199642465.001.0001/acref-9780199642465-e-5896 "protonotary apostolic", ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'', 4 ed., (Andrew Louth, ed.) OUP, 2022] {{ISBN|9780199642465}}</ref> Originally numbering seven, [[Pope Sixtus V]] (1585–90) increased their number to twelve. Their importance gradually diminished, and at the time of the [[French Revolution]], the office had almost entirely disappeared. On 8 February 1838, [[Pope Gregory XVI]] re-established the college of real protonotaries with seven members called ''protonotarii de numero participantium'', also known as ''numerary protonotaries'', because they shared in the revenues,<ref name=Kirsch/> as officials of the Roman [[Apostolic Chancery|Chancery]].

Since the sixteenth century, the popes had also appointed honorary protonotaries, who enjoyed the same privileges as the seven real members of the college; and titular protonotaries, who held a corresponding position in the administration of the episcopal ordinariate or in the collegiate chapter.<ref name=Kirsch/> 

By the [[motu proprio]] ''[https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-x/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-x_motu-proprio_19050221_inter-multiplices-curas.html Inter multiplices]'' of 21 February 1905, [[Pope Pius X]] defined the position of the protonotaries, ... privileges, dress, and insignia of the members of the four classes: 
*Apostolic protonotaries ''de numero (protonotarii apostolici de numero participantium)'', members 'within the number' of the college of prelates, who exercised their office in connection with the acts of consistories and canonizations, had a representative in the Congregation of the Propaganda, and, according to the reorganization of the Curia by the Constitution "Sapienti consilio" of 29 June 1908, signed the papal Bulls instead of the earlier [[abbreviatores]]. 
*Apostolic protonotaries supernumerary (''protonotarii apostolici supranumerarii)'', a dignity to which only the canons of the four Roman patriarchal [[basilica major]]s (the Lateran and the Prefects of the Diocese of Rome, St. Peter's, St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls), and of cathedral chapters outside Rome to which the privilege had been granted, could be raised;
*Apostolic protonotaries ''ad instar'' (''protonotarii apostolici ad instar sc. participantium)'', who were appointed by the pope and had the same external insignia as the real protonotaries; 
* Titular or Honorary Protonotaries ''(protonotarii titulares seu honorarii)'', who were found outside Rome, and who received this dignity from the [[nuncio]]s, or as a special privilege or being a [[vicar general]] or [[vicar capitular]].

==Present practice==
An example from more recent times:

* Roger Morin, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, Episcopal Vicar for the Religious Orders and Chaplain of Rideau Hall, became a Protonotary Apostolic during the Mass of Thanksgiving on April 22, 1987 (Notre Dame Cathedral - Ottawa ON Canada - Archbishop Joseph Aurele Plourde, presider).

Since 1969 (following [[Pope Paul VI]]'s issuing of two motu proprios, ''[[Pontificalis Domus]]'' of March 28, 1968 and ''Pontificalia Insignia'' of June 21, 1968), the four classes are reduced to two:
*Apostolic protonotaries ''de numero''—who continue the work of the College of Protonotaries and still have certain duties with regard to papal documents; they may be addressed formally as "Most Reverend Sir or Monsignor (in Italian: Reverendissimo Signore, Monsignore)", and they may wear the [[mantelletta]], the purple [[choir cassock]] and [[rochet]] for liturgical services, the black [[cassock]] with red piping and purple [[Fascia (sash)|fascia]] at other times, and may add the purple [[ferraiuolo]] and the [[biretta]] with red tuft to the black cassock for formal ceremonies of a non-liturgical nature (e.g., a graduation).<ref>[https://diolc.org/files/MonsBkgd.pdf Nguyen, Benedict T., "Becoming a Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church", Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse]</ref>
*Apostolic protonotaries supernumerary—The title is awarded to priests by the [[pope]]; however, the title is purely honorary and is not attached to any duties in the Curia. This is the type of [[protonotary]] found outside Rome, and it is considered the highest grade of [[monsignor]] found in most dioceses. Priests so honored are addressed as "reverend monsignor", may put the [[post-nominal letters]] "P.A." after their names, may wear the purple choir cassock (with rochet) for liturgical services, the black cassock with red piping and purple sash at other times, and may add the purple ferraiuolo to this for formal non-liturgical ceremonies, but use none of the other accoutrements mentioned above. This title will no longer be bestowed by the pope {{as of|2014|lc=on}}, except in the case of the Ordinaries of the three [[Personal Ordinariates]] who are not to be made bishops (because they are married), but all existing supernumerary protonotaries are allowed to keep their titles.

==See also==
*[[Chaplain of His Holiness]]
*[[Honorary Prelate]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Catholic|wstitle=Prothonotary Apostolic}}

==Sources==
*Andreucci, Andreas Hieronymus (1742). [https://books.google.com/books?id=fFT9qO6-apQC&pg=PA7 ''De Protonotariis Apostolicis... Tractatus Canonico- Theologicus.''] {{in lang|la}}. Roma: A. de Rubeis, 1742.
*Buonaccorsi, Giorgio (1751). [https://books.google.com/books?id=iatEAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA14 ''Antichità ed eccellenza del Protonotariato Appostolico Partecipante: Colle più scelte Notizie de'Santi, Sommi Pontefici, Cardinali, e Prelati che ne sono stati insigniti sino al presente.''] {{in lang|it}}. Faenza: Benedetti, 1751.
*Chow, Gabriel. ''Gcatholic.org,'' [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d60.htm Prefecture of the Papal Household], lists the current protonotaries ''de numero''.{{self-published source|date=July 2023}}
*Piacenza, Petrus (1905). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XIUQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA541 "De privilegiis septem Protonotariorum Participantium de Urbe,"] {{in lang|la}} in: ''Ephemerides liturgicae'' Vol. 19 (Roma: Edizioni Liturgiche, 1905), pp. 524-531; and cf. pp. 194-206 (protonotarii supernumerarii); 260-273; 325-331; 404-411; 471-479.
*Micke, Paul (1866). [https://books.google.com/books?id=lCsrXe8WphYC&pg=PA1 ''De protonotariis apostolicis''.] {{in lang|la}}. Bratislava: Jungfer, 1866. 
 
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[[Category:Apostolic pronotaries| ]]