The Chancellor for Canonical Affairs provides general canonical counsel to the Archbishop, other departments within the archdiocese, priests, parishes, and members of the lay faithful. Canon law touches on all aspects of the life of the Church: governance and temporal affairs, the administration of the sacraments, penal law and processes, and the relationships between the Archdiocese, its parishes and institutions, and clergy and laity. With the exception of questions relating to declarations of nullity, the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs handles queries related to canon law.

Specific tasks entrusted to the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs include providing permissions and faculties to visiting or non-incardinated clergy, issuing celebret cards and Letters of Suitability to archdiocesan priests, assisting parishes in drafting or revising Pastoral Council documents, the redistribution of items of a sacramental or religious character, and acting as the liaison to the Board of Censors.

For more information about specific services provided by the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs, please see below:

Receiving an Imprimatur
Tickets to Papal Events

Papal Blessings

Requests for Papal Blessing should be directed to the Chancellor's Office. The Holy See recently changed its requirements for the issuance of Papal Blessings. While it was possible in the past to receive a papal blessing for a wide variety of occasions, the change in regulations (meant to ensure that what is meant to be a privilege does not become a commercial enterprise) has resulted in a reduction of the types of blessing that can be requested.

To request a Papal Blessing, please contact us.


Are you planning a trip to Rome? – General Audience with the Holy Father
 
The Chancellor’s Office may be able to help. On behalf of Archbishop Nienstedt, we would be honored to assist you in obtaining tickets to the Holy Father’s General Audience held each Wednesday. We can assist in requesting tickets for the Midnight Mass and Holy Week liturgical celebrations, as well. And we can help request a tour of the Excavations of the Tomb of St. Peter and the Pre-Constantinian Necropolis (a.k.a. the Scavi Tour).  
 
If interested, please fill out this online form or contact us and provide the following information:

• Number of people are going to Rome
• Dates of your travel
• Where you will be staying while in Rome

VICE CHANCELLOR

The Vice Chancellor provides the following services on behalf of the Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis: Marriage Dispensations and Permissions, and Documentary Marriage Processes. In addition, the Vice Chancellor is available to assist members of the faithful in securing tickets for Papal audiences and events.