Vicar General for the Vatican City State
Encyclopedia
The Vicar General for the Vatican City State or more formally the Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City is an appointed position within the Roman Catholic Church
, appointed by the Pope
. Like other Vicars General
, the Vicar General for the Vatican City State is appointed to manage the administration of the diocese, in this case the general administration of churches and chapels within The Vatican.
The individual appointed to the role is responsible for the spiritual needs of the Vatican City
and is similar to the post of Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome
that deals with the day-to-day administration of the Diocese of Rome. Rome, though, is a city with residents while The Vatican, which is a City State, has only a very small number of permanent residents. As such, the Vicar General is primarily responsible for the spiritual needs of pilgrim
s who visit The Vatican.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, appointed by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. Like other Vicars General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
, the Vicar General for the Vatican City State is appointed to manage the administration of the diocese, in this case the general administration of churches and chapels within The Vatican.
The individual appointed to the role is responsible for the spiritual needs of the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
and is similar to the post of Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome
Cardinal Vicar
Cardinal Vicar is a title commonly given to the vicar general of the diocese of Rome for the portion of the diocese within Italy. The official title, as given in the Annuario Pontificio , is "Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome"...
that deals with the day-to-day administration of the Diocese of Rome. Rome, though, is a city with residents while The Vatican, which is a City State, has only a very small number of permanent residents. As such, the Vicar General is primarily responsible for the spiritual needs of pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s who visit The Vatican.
Vicars General for the Vatican City State
- Agostino Zampini (9 December 1910 – 7 June 1937)
- Alfonso Camillo De Romanis (20 August 1937 – 18 January 1950)
- Petrus Canisius Van LierdePetrus Canisius Van LierdePetrus Canisius Jean van Lierde, O.S.A., born 22 April 1907 † 12 March 1995, served forty years from 1951 to 1991 as Vicar General of the Vatican State, and was the longest serving Vatican official in that position.-Early life:...
(13 January 1951 – 14 January 1991) - Aurelio SabattaniAurelio SabattaniAurelio Sabattani JUD was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura from 1967 until his death, and was elevated to the Cardinalate in 1983.-Education:...
(14 January 1991 – 1 July 1991) - Virgilio NoèVirgilio NoèVirgilio Noè was an Italian Roman Catholic Cardinal.Born in 1922 in Zelata di Bereguardo, Lombardy. He studied at the Seminary of Pavia...
(1 July 1991 – 24 April 2002) - Francesco Marchisano (24 April 2002 – 5 February 2005)
- Angelo ComastriAngelo ComastriAngelo Comastri is an Italian clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current President of the Fabric of Saint Peter, Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, and Vicar General for the Vatican City State. He previously served as Bishop of Massa Marittima-Piombino and Territorial Prelate of...
(5 February 2005 –