What is a rescript and what function does it serve in applying canon law to individual cases?

• A. A clerical memo with no legal effect
• B. A personal letter from a bishop to a parishioner
• C. A formal written answer from a competent authority addressing a question or granting permission or clarification for a case
• D. A legislative decree binding all

Answer: (C)

A rescript is a formal written answer from a competent ecclesiastical authority that addresses a question about canon law and either grants permission or provides clarification for a specific case. This is how the law is applied to real-life situations: a person or their advocate asks for guidance on how the rules should work given the facts, and the authority responds with an official decision that resolves that particular matter. The rescript may approve a dispensation, permit a downgrading or exception, or interpret how the law should be understood in that situation, with the decision binding for the case at hand.

This differs from a casual or non-binding memo, which has no legal effect, and from a personal letter, which lacks official authority. It also differs from a general legislative decree, which sets rules for everyone; a rescript targets an individual case and comes from the proper authority to apply the law to that case.