Papal household
The papal household or pontifical household (usually not capitalized in the media and other nonofficial use, in carrying out particular ceremonies of either a religious or a civil character.
It is organised into two bodies: the Papal Chapel (Cappella Pontificia), which assists the pope in his functions as the spiritual head of the church, especially in religious ceremonies; and the Papal Family or Household (Familia Pontificia), which assists him as head of a juridical body with civil functions.[3]
Modern organisation
The Papal Household is a section of the Roman Curia. The Prefecture of the Papal Household is the office in charge of the Papal Household.[4]
Papal Chapel
The Papal Chapel consists of ecclesiastics who participate in religious ceremonies wearing their liturgical vestments or the dress proper to their rank and office.[5]
Historically, chanted divine service was held daily in the papal palace, with the Pope in person celebrating or assisting at Pontifical Mass on certain days. After the return of the popes from
- The College of Cardinals
- The patriarchs
- The archbishops who head dicasteries of the Roman Curia
- The Vice Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church
- The secretaries of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia
- The regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary
- The secretary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
- The dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota
- The superiors of the pontifical commissions
- The monastic orders
- The superior general or, in his absence, the procurator general of the mendicant orders
- The prelate auditors of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota
- The members of the Liberian Basilica
- The parish priests (pastors) of Rome
- The (two) clerics of the Papal Chapel
- Those in the personal service of the Pope
Papal Family (Familia Pontificalis)
The members of this body are subdivided into two groups: ecclesiastic and lay.[b]
The ecclesiastics who have membership are:[7]: 1233
- The Substitute of the Secretariat of State
- The Secretary for Relations with States
- The Almoner of His Holiness
- The President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy
- The Theologian of the Pontifical Household
- The College of the Apostolic ProtonotariesParticipating
- The Supernumerary Apostolic Protonotaries
- The Papal Masters of Ceremonies (Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff)
- The Honorary Prelatesof His Holiness
- The Chaplains of His Holiness
- The Preacher of the Papal household
The lay members are:[8]
- Assistants at the Throne
- The General Counsellor of the State of Vatican City
- The Commandant of the Papal Swiss Guard
- The Counsellors of the State of Vatican City
- The President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
- The Gentlemen of His Holiness
- The Procuratorsof the Apostolic Palaces
- The Attachés of the Antechamber
- Those in the personal service of the Pope
- The Aide de chambre
- The Dean of the Hall of the Papal Antechamber
History
Papal Court
By the late Middle Ages it was the most sophisticated bureaucracy in Europe.[9] In the Papal States, from medieval times, the papal nobility formed a part of the Papal Court. The roles and positions in the papal household and court evolved and changed over time, and included hostiarii, vestararius, vicedominus, nomenclator, cubiculario (chamberlain), sacellarius, praelatini palatini, bibliothecarius, scutiferi, cancellarius, protonotaries, primicerius, secundicerius, defensor, and many more.[10][11][12]
Reform of Paul VI
On March 28, 1968,
In the Papal Chapel, the following positions were altered or suppressed: Palatine Cardinals (Cardinali Palatini); prelates di fiocchetto;
The Papal Family underwent even more radical changes. Abolished and considered were the following titles: the Palatine prelates (i.e., Majordomo of His Holiness, Master of the Chamber [Maestro di Camera], Auditor of His Holiness);
The Master of the Sacred Palace (the Pope's Dominican theologian) has been renamed Theologian of the Pontifical Household.[17] Since 2005 the post has been held by Fr. Wojciech Giertych, a Polish Dominican. The titles of Secret Almoner and Sacristan of His Holiness were changed to Almoner of His Holiness, and Vicar General of His Holiness for Vatican City, respectively, and the responsibilities of the Secretary to Embassies and Secretary of the Wardrobe were commuted into the office of the Prelates of the Antechamber. Domestic Prelates and Secret Chamberlains Supernumerary remained part of the Papal Family, but were henceforth to be called Prelates of Honor of His Holiness and Chaplains of His Holiness, respectively. Likewise, the Secret Chamberlains of the Cape and Sword (di cappa e spada) were retained under the title Gentlemen of His Holiness, and the Bussolanti took the new name of Attachés of the Antechamber.[18] The Camerieri Segreti Partecipanti were outright abolished, as was the title of Sub-Auditor (Subdatarius).[19]
There was also a change in honorific ecclesiastical titles, which were reduced to three categories: Protonotaries Apostolic (de numero and supernumerary), Prelates of Honor of His Holiness, and Chaplains of His Holiness. All the other categories of Monsignori were abolished.[20]
See also
- Prefecture of the Pontifical Household
- Roman Curia
- Index of Vatican City-related articles
Notes
- ^ The Annuario Pontificio of 1863 listed the membership of the Papal Chapel of that time on pages 343-366.[6]
- ^ For the membership in 1863, see pages 367-392 of the Annuario Pontificio of that year.)[6]
References
- ^ Who’s that with Pope Francis? The seven kinds of people you meet in a papal entourage, Washington Post
- ^ Motu proprio Pontificalis Domus, introductory paragraphs 5 and 6; Italian translation of the document
- ^ Pontificalis Domus, introductory paragraph 5 and section 4
- ISBN 9781402790867
- ^ ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 1850
- ^ a b Annuario pontificio (in Italian). 1863.
- ^ ISBN 978-88-266-0797-9.
- ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1.
- ISBN 9780198662624
- JSTOR j.ctt1j0pt7h.
- ISBN 978-90-04-20623-6.
- )
- ^ a b Pontificalis Domus, Introduction.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 6, §4.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 6, §5.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 7, §3.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 7, §4.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 7, §7.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 7, §5.
- ^ Pontificalis Domus 8.
Sources
- (in Latin) Paul VI, Motu Proprio Pontificalis Domus, 28 March 1968
- Annuario Pontificio (annual publication)
- (in French) X. Barbier de Montault, L'année liturgique a Rome, Roma 1862, p. 255