Papal decrees, especially an official collection of church laws and legal documents issued by popes; plural of decretal.
From Latin 'decretales,' the plural of 'decretalis.' The most famous is 'Liber Extra' (the Extra), a major compilation of papal laws from 1234 that became foundational medieval church law.
The 'Decretals' were medieval Europe's Supreme Court decisions—they established rules about marriage, property, and power that influenced civil law for centuries!
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