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1581 J. Marbeck Bk. Notes & Common Places 803 The most high penitenciarie, Christ.]

1605 tr. J. Bignon Briefe Treat. Election Popes sig. D1 Hippolitus Aldobrandin, Cardinall of Saint Pancrace, & great Penitentiarie.

1670 G. Havers tr. G. Leti Il Cardinalismo di Santa Chiesa i. iii. 84 The office of chief Penitentiary is given by the Pope to a Cardinal alwayes.

1726 J. Ayliffe Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani 143 [The] Great Penitentiary,..together with his Counsellors, prescribes the measure of Pennance.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. (at cited word) At present the Pope has his Grand Penitentiary; who is a Cardinal, and the Chief of the other Penitentiary Priests.

1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 909/2 Briefs granted by the grand penitentiary are at the present time entirely gratuitous, and headed with the words ‘pro Deo’.

1875 Catholic World July 477/1 Next come the cardinal vicar, grand penitentiary, chamberlain, vice-chancellor, librarian.

1933 I. J. Churchill Canterbury Admin. I. i. ii. 123 The Archbishop is in receipt of letters from the papal penitentiary, authorising him after investigation to pronounce absolution if fitting in a particular case and to impose a suitable penance.

1957 F. L. Cross Oxf. Dict. Christian Church (at cited word) The ‘Grand Penitentiary’ is the Cardinal who presides over a tribunal which deals with all important matters affecting the Sacrament.

1988 D. M. Walker Legal Hist. Scotl. I. xiii. 323 The Pope acting through the Papal Penitentiary could dispense from mere ecclesiastical rules made by the Church.