The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State ( la, Pontificia Commissio pro Civitate Vaticana, it, Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Città del Vaticano;) is the

legislative body A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

of Vatican City. It consists of a president, who also holds the title of President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and six other cardinals appointed by the pope for five-year terms. The Pontifical Commission was created in 1939 by Pius XII. Laws and regulations proposed by the Commission must be submitted to the pope through the Secretariat of State prior to being made public and taking effect. Laws, regulations, and instructions enacted by the Commission are published in the '' Acta Apostolicae Sedis''.

Current members

Current

As of 2022, the president and the members are:

President

In addition to his legislative role, the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, who since 1 October 2021 has been Archbishop

Fernando Vérgez Alzaga Fernando Vérgez Alzaga L.C. (born 1 March 1945) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has been President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State since 1 October 2021 ...

, has been delegated executive authority by the pope for Vatican City, as the president of the Governorate of Vatican City State. As a senior member of the Roman Curia, the president is usually a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

of the Catholic Church. During a sede vacante, the term of the president ends, as do most other offices in the Curia. However, the holder of the office prior to the death or resignation of the pope becomes a member of the Commission that handles some of the functions of the head of state until a new pope can be chosen, along with the former

Cardinal Secretary of State The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae, it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Holy See's Secretariat of State, which is the ...

and the

Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church The Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church is an office of the papal household that administers the property and revenues of the Holy See. Formerly, his responsibilities included the fiscal administration of the Patrimony of Saint Peter. As regul ...

Former Governor

* Marquis Camillo Serafini, Governor of Vatican City (1929–1952)

Former Presidents

* Nicola Canali, 20 March 1939 – 3 August 1961 * Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, 12 August 1961 – 30 April 1969 * Jean-Marie Villot, 2 May 1969 – 9 March 1979 * Agostino Casaroli, 28 April 1979 – 8 April 1984 * Sebastiano Baggio, 8 April 1984 – 31 October 1990 * Rosalio Lara, 31 October 1990 – 15 October 1997 *

Edmund Szoka Edmund Casimir Szoka (September 14, 1927 – August 20, 2014) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Until 2006, he was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican Ci ...

, 15 October 1997 – 15 September 2006 * Giovanni Lajolo, 15 September 2006 – 1 October 2011 *

Giuseppe Bertello Giuseppe Bertello (born 1 October 1942) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal since 2012, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from Oct ...

, 1 October 2011 – 1 October 2021

Governorate of Vatican City State

The President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State also serves as the head of government of Vatican City, the president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, an office that is distinct from the former title of Governor of Vatican City. In addition to his legislative role, the President is delegated executive authority for Vatican City by the Pope. Administrations and departments of Vatican City's government, including the Corpo della Gendarmeria, the Vatican Observatory, the Vatican Museums, and the Department of Pontifical Villas, which administers

Castel Gandolfo Castel Gandolfo (, , ; la, Castrum Gandulphi), colloquially just Castello in the Castelli Romani dialects, is a town located southeast of Rome in the Lazio region of Italy. Occupying a height on the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Albano, Castel Ga ...

, report to the Governorate. The functions of the Governorate include: * Legal office * Office for Personnel * Office for Civil Records * Archives * Accounting Office * Numismatic and Philatelic office * Post and Telegraph office * Shipping office * Police Department ( Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City) * Tourist Information Office * Department of Museums and Galleries ( Vatican Museums) * Department of Economic Services * Department of Technical Services * Vatican Observatory *

* Office for Archeological Research

References

External links

Vatican City State
{{Heads of state and government of Europe Vatican City Vatican City Religion and politics