Archbishop Burke appointed:

On Saturday the Holy See announced that Archbishop Raymond Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis has been appointed to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.  The Archbishop will undertake his new duties while remaining Archbishop of St. Louis.

While the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is often labeled the “Supreme Court” of the Catholic Church, the Tribunal’s cases are generally more rare than those of the U.S. Supreme Court. Most judicial appeals, which come to Rome from dioceses around the world, are decided by the Roman Rota.  The Supreme Tribunal’s duties include responsibility for any appeals to rulings of the Roman Rota, in addition to oversight of the Roman Rota itself. 

The Tribunal is currently being asked to consider the appeal of a group of parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston, which have been closed due to restructuring in the archdiocese.  The parishes are appealing to the Tribunal after their initial appeals to Rome were denied earlier this month.

The Tribunal also oversees the administration of justice within the Church, examining administrative matters referred to it by the Congregations of the Roman Curia as well as questions committed to it by the Holy Father.