A Chaplain of His Holiness is a priest to whom the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

has granted this title. They are addressed as

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...

and have certain privileges with respect to ecclesiastical dress and vestments.Instruction on the Dress, Titles and Coat-of-Arms of Cardinals, Bishops and Lesser Prelates
(31 March 1969), English translation published by the Vatican.

History

In accordance with the ''

motu proprio In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term '' sua sponte'' for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a d ...

'' ''Pontificalis Domus'' of 28 March 1968, those priests who had been called Supernumerary Privy Chamberlains continued to be part of the

Papal Household The papal household or pontifical household (usually not capitalized in the media and other nonofficial use, ), called until 1968 the Papal Court (''Aula Pontificia''), consists of dignitaries who assist the pope in carrying out particular ceremoni ...

, under the new name of Chaplains of His Holiness. Lower ranks of Privy Chamberlains (Honorary Chamberlains of Purple Robes, Chamberlains ''extra Urbem'', Honorary Privy Chaplains, and Honorary Chaplains ''extra Urbem'') were abolished,''Annuario Pontificio'' 2012, p. 1853 making Chaplain of His Holiness the first (lowest) of the three ranks of Monsignor. The role of Chaplain of His Holiness dates to the time of

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

. Such Chaplains have provided unpaid service since the pontificate of

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

. The nomination of candidates ''extra urbem'' may be granted at the request of their bishop through the Apostolic Nunciature, subject to the examination of the merits of the person considered for this rank and to the criteria of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. Once the candidate has passed all the requirements, a rescript is drawn up by the Secretariat of State attesting to their promotion to this ecclesiastical rank. The following are chaplains of His Holiness as long as they are in office: * The canons of the cathedrals of Lodi and Syracuse, * The canons of the chapter of Saints Celse and Julian in Rome, * The magistral chaplains of the Sovereign Order of Malta, SMOM, * The clerics of the papal chapel, * The canonical coadjutors of the great papal basilicas. This rank does not expire but requires renewal upon the death of the pope who granted this rank. File:Chaplain of His Holiness COA template.svg, Generic coat of arms of a Chaplain of His Holiness

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaplain Of His Holiness

History

See also

References