Legal Definitions - dimissory letters

Dimissory letters are official documents used within ecclesiastical (church) law that serve two primary purposes:

• Purpose 1: Clergy Transfer

  They act as formal permission for a clergy member to transfer from one church jurisdiction, known as a diocese, to another. These letters essentially release the clergy member from their duties and allegiance in their current diocese and recommend them for acceptance into a new one.

• Purpose 2: Ordination Authorization

  They can also be documents issued by one bishop to another, granting authorization or recognition for the ordination of a candidate who falls under the first bishop's original jurisdiction.

Here are some examples:

• Example 1 (Clergy Transfer): Father Michael, a priest serving diligently in the Diocese of St. Jude, wishes to move to the Diocese of St. Peter to take on a new pastoral role and be closer to his elderly parents. To facilitate this transfer, the Bishop of St. Jude would issue dimissory letters. These letters would formally release Father Michael from his obligations in St. Jude's Diocese and confirm his good standing, allowing the Bishop of St. Peter to accept him into his clergy.

  How this illustrates the term: This scenario demonstrates the first purpose of dimissory letters, which is to authorize the official transfer of a clergy member (Father Michael) from one diocese (St. Jude) to another (St. Peter).

• Example 2 (Ordination Authorization): Sarah began her theological studies and initial steps toward ordination as a deacon in the Diocese of Holy Cross. However, due to an unexpected job relocation, she moved to the Diocese of New Hope before her final ordination ceremony. For the Bishop of New Hope to proceed with Sarah's ordination, he would require dimissory letters from the Bishop of Holy Cross. These letters would confirm that Sarah has met all the necessary requirements and is approved for ordination by her original diocese, granting permission for the New Hope bishop to complete the process.

  How this illustrates the term: This example highlights the second purpose, where documents from one bishop (Holy Cross) enable another bishop (New Hope) to ordain a candidate (Sarah) who was originally under the first bishop's jurisdiction.

• Example 3 (Ordination Authorization for a specific case): Bishop Eleanor of the Diocese of the Great Lakes is asked to ordain a candidate, Thomas, who has completed his formation and is ready for priesthood, but whose home parish and sponsoring bishop are in the neighboring Diocese of the Plains. Due to a special arrangement or personal connection, Thomas prefers Bishop Eleanor to perform the ordination. Before Bishop Eleanor can proceed, she would need dimissory letters from the Bishop of the Plains. These letters would confirm Thomas's eligibility and the Plains Diocese's consent for Bishop Eleanor to ordain him, effectively transferring the authority for that specific act.

  How this illustrates the term: This demonstrates how one bishop (of the Plains) provides documents to enable another bishop (Eleanor) to ordain a candidate (Thomas) who is under the former bishop's jurisdiction, even if the ordination takes place elsewhere or by a different bishop.