CATHOLIC WORD BOOK - Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council

Cura Animarum: A Latin phrase, meaning
care of souls, designating the pastoral
ministry and responsibility of bishops and
priests.
Curia: The personnel and offices through
which (1) the pope administers the affairs
of the universal Church, the Roman Curia
(See p. 253), or (2) a bishop the affairs of a
diocese, diocesan curia. The principal
officials of a diocesan curia are the vicar
general of the diocese, the chancellor,
officials of the diocesan tribunal or court,
examiners, consultors, auditors, notaries.
Custos: A religious superior who presides
over a number of convents collectively
called a custody. In some institutes of
consecrated life a custos may be the deputy
of a higher superior.
D
Dean: (1) A priest with supervisory
responsibility over a section of a diocese
known as a deanery. The post Vatican II
counterpart of a dean is an episcopal vicar.
(2) The senior or ranking member of a
group.
Decision: A judgment or pronouncement
on a cause or suit, given by a church
tribunal or official with judicial authority.
A decision has the force of law for
concerned parties.
Declaration: (1) An ecclesiastical document
which presents an interpretation of an
existing law. (2) A position paper on a
specific subject; e.g., the three declarations
issued by the Second Vatican Council on
religious freedom, non Christian religions,
and Christian education.
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Decree: An edict or ordinance issued by a
pope and/or by an ecumenical council,
with binding force in the whole Church;
by a department of the Roman Curia, with
binding force for concerned parties; by a
territorial body of bishops, with binding
force for persons in the area; by individual
bishops, with binding force for concerned
parties until revocation or the death of the
bishop. The nine decrees issued by the
Second Vatican Council were
combinations of doctrinal and pastoral
statements with executive orders for action
and movement toward renewal and reform
in the Church.
Dedication of a Church: The ceremony
whereby a church is solemnly set apart for
the worship of God. The custom of
dedicating churches had an antecedent in
Old Testament ceremonies for the
dedication of the Temple, as in the times of
Solomon and the Maccabees. The earliest
extant record of the dedication of a
Christian church dates from early in the
fourth century, when it was done simply
by the celebration of Mass. Other
ceremonies developed later. A church can
be dedicated by a simple blessing or a
solemn consecration. The rite of
consecration is generally performed by a
bishop.
Deposit of the Faith: The body of saving
truth, entrusted by Christ to the Apostles
and handed on by them to the Church to
be preserved and proclaimed. As embodied
in Revelation and Tradition the term is
very nearly coextensive with objective
revelation, in that it embraces the whole of
Christ’s teaching. But the term of deposit
highlights particular features of the
apostolic teaching implying that this