Apostolic administration

An apostolic administration in the

territorial abbacy) that either has no bishop or archbishop (an apostolic administrator sede vacante

, as after an episcopal death, resignation or transfer to other (arch)diocese) or, in very rare cases, has an incapacitated (arch)bishop (apostolic administrator sede plena).

Characteristics

Apostolic administrators of stable administrations are equivalent in

archbishops, meaning they have essentially the same authority as a diocesan bishop and archbishop. This type of apostolic administrator is usually the bishop or archbishop of a titular see

.

Administrators sede vacante or sede plena only serve in their role until a newly chosen diocesan bishop or archbishop takes possession of the (arch)diocese. They are restricted by canon law in what they can do to the (arch)diocese they temporarily administer. For example, such an administrator may not sell

ordinary

of a neighboring (arch)diocese.

Normally when a diocese or archdiocese falls vacant, either the previously appointed

vicar capitular or (arch)diocesan administrator

is chosen locally but the pope, being head of the Catholic Church, may decide to name an administrator himself instead of waiting for the college of consultors of a particular diocese or archdiocese to appoint a diocesan or archdiocesan administrator where it is then called an apostolic administrator. Sometimes a retiring, promoted or transferred (arch)bishop is designated to be apostolic administrator until his successor is installed; sometimes the metropolitan or a fellow suffragan is appointed.

Apostolic administrations

In March 2021, there were the following stable apostolic administrations, most administered by a (titular or external) bishop.[1]

Most are of the Roman rite; most are in former or current

communist

countries.

Metropolitan Archbishopric of Astana^[2]^[3]

Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus, immediately subject to the Holy See, established in 1991 for two predominantly Orthodox former Soviet Republics: Georgia (the cathedral is in its capital Tbilisi) and Armenia
Baltic Countries; immediately subject to Rome, established in 1924, with its cathedral in the capital Tallinn

People's Republic of China

, immediately subject to Rome, established in 1935, with a cathedral and a bishop without papal mandate since 2012, recognized from the Holy See in 2018

Republic of China (Taiwan
)

mission sui juris

and promoted in 2006

Apostolic Administration of Uzbekistan, predominantly Islamic former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, immediately subject to Rome, founded in 1997 as a mission sui juris and promoted in 2005.

Some apostolic administrations have jurisdiction not only over Latin Rite Catholics, but also over Catholics of other rites, not having their own jurisdictions there:

Tirana–Durrës.^[5]

Also some apostolic administrations have jurisdiction only over Catholics of the Byzantine Rite, that not having their own jurisdictions there:

Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan and Central Asia for Faithful of Byzantine Rite, with a see in Karaganda, for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Diocese of Pyongyang

The

Archbishop of Seoul (South Korea) acts as the apostolic administrator for Pyongyang

, as religion is suppressed in North Korea.

Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney

In addition, the

Diocese of Campos, a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Niterói

.

The personal apostolic administration was formed by Pope John Paul II to administer to a group of traditionalist Catholic priests, using the

Society of St. Pius X of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.^[6]^[7]^[8]

Temporary administration of vacant sees

It is fairly typical that the pope can decide to name an administrator himself to a diocese or archdiocese which lacks an ordinary (bishop or archbishop) called as apostolic administrator instead of waiting for the college of consultors of a particular (arch)diocese to appoint a diocesan or archdiocesan administrator. Usually, the emeritus (arch)bishop will be appointed in such a case. If the appointed apostolic administrator is a diocesan bishop or archbishop of a diocese or archdiocese, then he governs two (arch)dioceses which are his own and the vacant one, with the latter being temporarily while a successor of a vacant (arch)diocese is not yet installed or assumed office. Recently (and in exception to the latter), the archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh had Philip Tartaglia under this procedure.

For example,

Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, was then appointed as apostolic administrator until Cardinal Jose Advincula

became Tagle's successor as archbishop in 24 June 2021.

Ruperto Cruz Santos, fourth Bishop of Balanga in Bataan for 13 years, 3 months, and 21 days from 1 April 2010 as bishop-elect from 1 April to 8 July 2010 and as installed bishop of Balanga from 8 July 2010 to 22 July 2023 where he succeeded Socrates Villegas as the diocese's bishop, was appointed as fifth Bishop of Antipolo having jurisdiction over Marikina in Metro Manila and the province of Rizal on 24 May 2023 and ended his tenure as the diocese's bishop when he assumed the position on 22 July 2023. Florentino Galang Lavarias, Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga, was then appointed as the diocese's apostolic administrator while awaiting for the installation of Santos' successor as Bishop of Balanga.

Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, the Bishop of Hong Kong, died on 3 January 2019. Cardinal John Tong Hon

, Bishop Emeritus, was appointed as apostolic administrator.

There is also the ability for the pope to appoint an apostolic administrator

Savio Hon Tai-fai as apostolic administrator sede plena, as temporary replacement. On 31 October 2016, Michael J. Byrnes, then Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit

, was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Agaña with full administrative authority, and later succeeded as archbishop.

Former apostolic administrations

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (February 2020)

Latin in Europe

Apostolic Administration of Český Těšín (Czech Republic)

Apostolic Administration of Drohiczyn (Poland; promoted Roman Catholic Diocese of Drohiczyn
)

Apostolic Administration of the Free City of Danzig (Free City of Danzig, currently Poland; promoted Diocese of Danzig, later renamed Diocese of Gdańsk and finally promoted Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gdańsk
)

Apostolic Administration of Eastern Siberia
(Russia)

Apostolic Administration of Eupen–Malmedy–Sankt Vith
(Belgium; promoted Diocese of Eupen–Malmedy, later suppressed into Liège diocese)

Apostolic Administration of European Russia

Apostolic Administration of Görlitz
(Germany; promoted Diocese)

Apostolic Administration of Haarlem
(Netherlands; promoted Diocese, renamed Haarlem–Amsterdam)

Diocese of Gorzów, renamed in 1992 Zielona Góra-Gorzów, Diocese of Szczecin-Kamień, later promoted Archdiocese, and Diocese of Koszalin-Kołobrzeg, with small easternmost fragment awarded to Diocese of Chełmno
)

Apostolic Administration of Lubaczów
(promoted and renamed diocese of Zamość-Lubaczów, Poland)

Apostolic Administration of Moldova
(Moldavia; now diocese of Chisinau)

Apostolic Administration of Northern European Russia

Apostolic Administration of Novosibirsk
(Russia)

Apostolic Administration of Opole
(Poland; promoted Diocese)

Apostolic Administration of Prizren, a former diocese (and later titular bishopric) in Kosovo (in 1969 absorbed by Skopje in the present North Macedonia
), restored in 2000, elevated in 2018 as diocese, immediately subject to Rome

Apostolic administration of Schwerin
(partitioned Germany, merged into Hamburg archbishopric)

Apostolic Administration of Southern European Russia

Apostolic Administration of Trnava
(Slovakia; promoted Archdiocese, lost Metropolitan status when restored after merger into Bratislava)

Apostolic Administration of Kamień, Lubusz and the Prelature of Piła
)

Apostolic Administration of Upper Silesia
(Poland; now Archdiocese of Katowice)

Apostolic Administration of Western Siberia
(Russia)

Apostolic Administration of West Flanders
(Dutch: West-Vlaanderen), province in Belgium; promoted diocese and renamed Bruges (Brugge) after its see)

Apostolic Administration of Yugoslav Bačka
(Serbia; now Diocese of Subotica)

Apostolic Administration of Yugoslav Banat
(Serbia; now Diocese of Zrenjanin)

Archdiocese of Vilnius
, Lithuania)

Eastern Catholic in Europe

Apostolic Administration of Lemkowszczyzna
(Poland; Ukrainian Catholic, promoted Apostolic Exarchate, suppressed)

Ruthenian Catholic Apostolic Administration of Bosnia-Hercegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Byzantine Rite; suppressed)

Ruthenian Catholic Apostolic Administration of Targul-Siret
(Romania, Byzantine Rite; suppressed)

Latin Overseas

In Asia

Apostolic Administration of Almaty
(Kazachstan; promoted Diocese)

Apostolic Administration of Astana
(Kazachstan; promoted Archdiocese)

Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan
(promoted Diocese and renamed Karaganda after its see)

Apostolic Administration of Latakia
(Maronite, Syria; now an Eparchy: Eastern Catholic Diocese)

Apostolic Administration of Okinawa and the Southern Islands
, alias Ryukyus (Japan; now Diocese of Naha)

In America

Apostolic Administration of Copiapó
(Chile; now a diocese)

Apostolic Administration of El Petén
(Guatemala; promoted Apostolic Vicariate)

Apostolic Administration of Izabal
(Guatemala; now a diocese)

Apostolic Administration of Rio Branco
(Brazil; promoted Territorial Prelature, renamed and again promoted Diocese of Roraima)

In Africa

Apostolic Administration of the Comoros Archipelago
(Comoros; now Apostolic Vicariate of the Comoros Archipelago)

Apostolic Administration of Mbuji-Mayi
(now Diocese of Mbujimayi, in Congo)

Apostolic Administration of Zanzibar and Pemba
(now Diocese of Zanzibar, in Tanzania)

See also

Catholicism portal

List of Catholic dioceses (alphabetical)

List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)

List of Catholic archdioceses

List of Military Ordinariates and/or Catholic military (arch)bishoprics

List of Catholic apostolic vicariates

List of Eastern Catholic (Apostolic, Patriarchal and other) Exarchates

List of Apostolic Prefectures

List of Territorial Prelatures

List of Catholic Missions sui juris

Reorganization of occupied dioceses during World War II

Notes and references

^ Apostolic Administrations GCatholic.org. Accessed 2014-07-11.

^ "Rinunce e nomine". Archived from the original on 2015-05-21.

^ "press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2015/05/16/0373/00816.html - Translator". www.microsofttranslator.com.

^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 32 (1940), p. 139-140.

^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 97 (2005), p. 131-132.

^ Personal Apostolic Administrations GGatholic.com. Accessed 2008-04-10.

^ Traditionalist schism in Brazil ends Archived October 14, 2004, at the Wayback Machine (January 18, 2002). Zenit News Agency. Accessed 2008-04-10.

^ Apostolic Administration of São João Maria Vianney Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Accessed 2008-04-10.

Sources and external links

GCatholic

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apostolic_administration&oldid=1218708454"

[1] Apostolic Administrations GCatholic.org. Accessed 2014-07-11.

[2] "Rinunce e nomine". Archived from the original on 2015-05-21.

[3] "press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2015/05/16/0373/00816.html - Translator". www.microsofttranslator.com.

[4] Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 32 (1940), p. 139-140.

[5] Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 97 (2005), p. 131-132.

[6] Personal Apostolic Administrations GGatholic.com. Accessed 2008-04-10.

[7] Traditionalist schism in Brazil ends Archived October 14, 2004, at the Wayback Machine (January 18, 2002). Zenit News Agency. Accessed 2008-04-10.

[8] Apostolic Administration of São João Maria Vianney Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Accessed 2008-04-10.

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