A papal bull is a designation in the Catholic Church for a decree or charter that relates to important legal acts of the pope, which is proclaimed in a ceremonial form and provided with a lead seal.
A papal bull normally contains instructions and exhortations, disclosures. In chartering, the term bul is reserved for solemn papal certificates bearing a bulla, a gold or lead seal.
A special papal bull is the encyclical. In it, the Pope reflects on Bible texts and interpretations of social and ecclesiastical developments.
