Terms of Use
Effective date: 23 September 2026
These Terms of Use explain how the Signa Dei website and its original content may be accessed and used. By using this website, you agree to these terms. Signa Dei is an independent Catholic educational and research project based in the United Kingdom. Please read these terms before using or reproducing material from the website.
1. Use of Website Content
Content published on Signa Dei is provided for personal, educational, academic and religious research. Visitors may read, share links to, and cite material with clear attribution to Signa Dei and the original source where applicable. Original Signa Dei content may not be commercially reproduced, republished, systematically copied, scraped, used to create competing databases, or included in AI training datasets without prior written permission.
2. Copyright and Reproduction
Original text, research presentation, editorial content, graphics and other material created specifically for Signa Dei are protected by copyright unless otherwise stated. Third-party material remains the property of its respective owners. Short quotations may be used where permitted under UK copyright law, including fair dealing for quotation, criticism, review or research, with appropriate attribution. Wider reproduction requires prior permission.
3. Accuracy of Information
Signa Dei aims to present information accurately, responsibly and with clear sourcing. Entries are based on authoritative Church documents, reliable historical records and other trusted sources. While every reasonable effort is made to ensure accuracy, historical records may be incomplete and official conclusions can sometimes be clarified or updated. Where this occurs, Signa Dei will aim to reflect the most current authoritative information available.
4. Church Recognition
Signa Dei includes only extraordinary phenomena that have been formally recognised, approved or accepted by competent Catholic Church authority. Recognition status is presented using authoritative sources such as diocesan declarations, Vatican documents and canonisation records. Signa Dei does not make independent supernatural or theological judgements and always defers to the competent authority of the Catholic Church.
5. Third-Party Sources and Images
Signa Dei may reference or reproduce third-party documents, photographs, artworks and other source material where legally permitted. Such material remains the property of its respective copyright holders and is credited where appropriate. Material is used only where it is public domain, properly licensed, used with permission, or permitted under applicable UK copyright law. Copyright concerns may be reported through the Contact page.
6. External Links
Signa Dei may include links to external websites, including Vatican, diocesan, academic, historical and other trusted sources. These links are provided for reference and further research. Signa Dei is not responsible for the content, availability, privacy practices or subsequent changes made to external websites. A link does not necessarily imply endorsement of all content published by the external site.
External links are provided in good faith and are checked periodically; however, Signa Dei cannot guarantee that all linked resources will remain available or accurate over time.
7. Educational Purpose
Signa Dei is an educational and research resource created to make documented Catholic material easier to study and understand. The website is not intended to replace official Church documents, theological advice, professional academic research or the judgement of competent ecclesiastical authority. Readers are encouraged to consult the original sources cited within each archive entry for further study.
8. Independent Status
Signa Dei is an independent Catholic educational and research project. It is not an official website or publication of the Holy See, any bishops’ conference, diocese, parish, religious order or other ecclesiastical authority unless explicitly stated. References to Church documents, decisions or institutions are provided for research and educational purposes and do not imply official endorsement of Signa Dei.
9. Acceptable Use
Visitors must use Signa Dei lawfully and responsibly. You must not attempt to damage, disrupt or gain unauthorised access to the website, introduce malicious software, misuse its content, impersonate Signa Dei, or use the site for unlawful purposes. Automated scraping, bulk copying or systematic extraction of archive content is not permitted without prior written permission.
10. Limitation of Liability
Signa Dei provides information for educational and research purposes. While reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy, the website is provided without guarantees of completeness, uninterrupted availability or suitability for a particular purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Signa Dei is not liable for loss arising solely from reliance on website content, use of external links or temporary website unavailability.
11. Changes to These Terms
Signa Dei may update these Terms of Use when necessary to reflect changes to the website, its content or applicable requirements. Revised terms will be published on this page with an updated effective date. The current version of these Terms applies whenever you use the website.
12. Governing Law
These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising from the use of Signa Dei or these Terms will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, except where applicable law provides otherwise.
Signa Dei is an independent Catholic educational and research archive. These terms are governed by the principles of good faith and scholarly integrity.
