- Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the
Roman Catholic Church is aprelate appointed by thePope to serve as theordinary for an apostolic administration. An apostolic administration can either be an area that is not yet adiocese (a stable apostolic administration) or for adiocese that either has nobishop (an apostolic administrator "sede vacante ") or, in very rare cases, has an incapacitated bishop (apostolic administrator "sede plena").Characteristics
Apostolic administrators of stable administrations are equivalent in canon law with diocesan bishops, meaning they have essentially the same authority as a diocesan bishop. This type of apostolic administrator is usually the bishop of a
titular see .Administrators "sede vacante" or "sede plena" only serve in their role until a newly chosen diocesan bishop takes possession of the diocese. They are restricted by canon law in what they can do to the diocese they temporarily administer. For example, such an administrator may not sell
real estate owned by the diocese. This type of administrator is commonly anauxiliary bishop of the diocese, a priest serving as thevicar general of the diocese, or theordinary of a neighboring diocese.Normally when a diocese falls vacant a
vicar capitular /diocesan administrator is chosen locally, but the Pope, having full governmental power, can preempt this choice and name an apostolic administrator instead. Sometimes a retiring bishop is designated to be apostolic administrator until his successor takes office.Present cases
In
August 2008 , there were the following stable apostolic administrations, each administered by a bishop. [ [http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/data/typeapad.htm Apostolic Administrations] "GCatholic.com". Accessed 2008-08-02.] Most of these are of the Roman rite, with the following exception:
*Southern Albania (established in 1939; suffragan of Tirana–Durrës), of theAlbanian Byzantine Catholic Church All others are of the Roman rite; most are in current or former
communist countries.
*Atyrau inKazakhstan , suffragan of the Metropolitan of Astana;
*Caucasus , immediately subject to the Holy See, established in 1991 for two former Soviet Republics: Georgia (the cathedral is in its capitalTbilisi ) andArmenia
*Estonia , one of theBaltic Countries , established in 1924, with its cathedral in the capitalTallinn
*Kyrgyzstan , a former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, immediately subject, founded in 1997 as amission sui juris and promoted in 2006
*Prizren , a former diocese inKosovo (in 1969 absorbed bySkopje in the presentRepublic of Macedonia ), restored in 2000, immediately subject
*Uzbekistan , former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, immediately subject, founded in 1997 as a mission sui juris and promoted in 2005
*Harbin in thePeople's Republic of China , immediately subject, established in 1935, with a cathedral, vacant since 1946
*Comoros (established in 1975; still includesMayotte , which split off politically by remaining under French administration), immediately subject, administrated by a priest, the only territorial stable apostolic administration not in a current or former communist country.In addition, the
Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney is a non-territorial jurisdiction, similar to apersonal prelature . It is a separateparticular church fortraditionalist Catholic s within the Brazilian Diocese of Campos, and suffragan ofNiterói . The personal apostolic administration was formed by Pope John Paul II to administer to a group of traditionalist Catholic priests who reconciled with Rome onJanuary 18 2002 . The group had been formed by bishopAntônio de Castro Mayer and had been associated with theSociety of St. Pius X of ArchbishopMarcel Lefebvre . [ [http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/data/typepapd.htm Personal Apostolic Administrations] "GGatholic.com". Accessed 2008-04-10.] [ [http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=15334 Traditionalist schism in Brazil ends] (January 18, 2002). "Zenit News Agency ". Accessed 2008-04-10.] [ [http://catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dsjmv.html Apostolic Administration of São João Maria Vianney] "Catholic-Hierarchy.org". Accessed 2008-04-10.]ee also
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Prefect Apostolic Notes
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