Legal Definitions - dimissoriae litterae

Definition: Dimissoriae litterae is a Latin term used in Ecclesiastical law that refers to documents allowing a member of the clergy to leave one diocese for another. These letters are also provided by one bishop to another bishop to ordain a candidate who has already been ordained in the former bishop's diocese.

Example 1: A priest who wants to move from one diocese to another needs to obtain dimissoriae litterae from his current bishop. These letters will allow him to serve in the new diocese.

Example 2: A candidate who has been ordained as a deacon in one diocese but wants to become a priest in another diocese needs to obtain dimissoriae litterae from his current bishop. These letters will allow the new bishop to ordain him as a priest.

These examples illustrate how dimissoriae litterae are used in Ecclesiastical law to facilitate the movement of clergy members from one diocese to another and to enable the ordination of candidates who have already been ordained in another diocese.