In honor of Pope Francis’ visit to Washington, DC, AU Library Special Collections is pleased to showcase two items from the Hurst Autograph Collection:

Papal Bulls of Gregory XVI (1831-1846) and Pius IX (1846-1878)

Papal bulls were originally issued by the Pope for many kinds of public communication, but by the 13th century papal bulls were only used for the most formal occasions.

It is named after the lead seal (bulla) that was attached in order to authenticate it. The bulla has the heads of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul on one side and the Pope’s name on the other.

Close up of Lead Seal for Pius IX