You may recognize it because of marriage annulments, but this tribunal is much more than that. Operating for more than 500 years, it is the supreme court in matters of canon law. It is also the Vatican’s court of appeal.
It is made up of auditors—essentially judges—chosen directly by the pope and headed by a dean.
Rota means “wheel” in Latin, and the meaning of this name varies. It was either because of the circular chamber where the auditors met or because of the way they sat to judge cases.
Precisely on the occasion of the inauguration of its judicial year, they met with Pope Leo XIV. And the pontiff addressed this point:
POPE LEO XIV
Canonical proceedings must inspire confidence through professional seriousness, intense and careful work, and committed dedication—that is, they can and must be considered a true professional vocation. The faithful and the entire ecclesial community have the right to a correct and timely exercise of procedural functions, since this is a path that affects consciences and lives.
The Rota was officially regulated under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII in the Apostolic Constitution Ratio Iuris, although it had been established centuries earlier in the year 1331.
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