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Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
Vatican City legislative body
Vatican City legislative body
| Field | Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| name | Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State | ||
| coa_pic | Coat of arms of Vatican City (2023–present).svg | ||
| coa_res | 150px | ||
| coa_caption | Coat of arms of Vatican City | ||
| session_room | Vatikan-Regierungspalast.jpg | ||
| foundation | 1939 | ||
| house_type | Unicameral | ||
| term_length | 5 years | ||
| leader1_type | President | ||
| leader1 | Raffaella Petrini | ||
| election1 | 1 March 2025 | ||
| structure1 | Pontifical Commission Composition.svg | ||
| structure1_res | 300px | ||
| members | 7 | ||
| *{{Color box | #FFD700 | border | darkgray}} Nonpartisan (7) |
| voting_system1 | Appointment by the Pope | ||
| meeting_place | Palace of the Governorate | ||
| website |
- Nonpartisan (7) The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (, ) is the legislative body of Vatican City. It consists of a president, who also holds the title of President of the Governorate and deputizes as the head of government of Vatican City, as well as six cardinals appointed by the Pope, the head of state of Vatican City, 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
Following the most recent changes on 15 October 2025, the president and the members are:
| Position | Name | Country | Other positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Sister Raffaella Petrini | Catholic Church in | President of the Governorate of Vatican City State |
| Members | Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell | Catholic Church in | |
| Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti | Catholic Church in | Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches | |
| Cardinal Arthur Roche | Catholic Church in | Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments | |
| Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik | Catholic Church in | Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy | |
| Cardinal Blase Cupich | Catholic Church in | Archbishop of Chicago | |
| Cardinal Baldassare Reina | Catholic Church in Italy | Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome |
Governorate of Vatican City State
Administrations and departments of Vatican City's government, including the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, the Vatican Observatory, the Vatican Museums and the Department of Pontifical Villas, which administers Castel Gandolfo, 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
- Castel Gandolfo
- Office for Archaeological Research
President
The president of the Pontifical Commission also serves as the Vatican City State's de facto head of government, as 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 their legislative role, the president is delegated executive authority for Vatican City by the Pope. As a senior member of the Roman Curia, the president has usually been a cardinal. Raffaella Petrini is the first woman to hold the position. Article 8 n. 1, of the Fundamental Law, promulgated in 2023, previously stated: “The Pontifical Commission is composed of Cardinals, including the President, and of other members, appointed by the Supreme Pontiff for a five-year term.” But in 2025, Pope Leo XIV replaced this with, “The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is composed of Cardinals and other members, including the President, appointed by the Supreme Pontiff for a five-year term”, thus allowing people who are not cardinals to be president.
When the papacy is vacant, the term of the president ends, as do most other offices in the Curia, and the person occupying the position becomes a member of the Commission that handles some of the functions of head of state until a new pope is chosen, along with the Cardinal Secretary of State and the Cardinal Camerlengo.
List
| No. | Image | Name | Nationality | Term | Reigning pope(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [[File:Nicola Canali – 1914.jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Nicola Canali | |||||
| (1874–1961) | Catholic Church in | 20 March 1939 | |||
| – | |||||
| 3 August 1961 | |||||
| 2 | [[File:CICOGNANI AMLETO GIOVANNI (+1973).jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Amleto Giovanni Cicognani | |||||
| (1883–1973) | Catholic Church in | 12 August 1961 | |||
| – | |||||
| 30 April 1969 | |||||
| 3 | [[File:Jean-Marie Villot 1978.jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Jean-Marie Villot | |||||
| (1905–1979) | Catholic Church in | 2 May 1969 | |||
| – | |||||
| 9 March 1979 | |||||
| 4 | [[File:Agostino Casaroli 1 (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Agostino Casaroli | |||||
| (1914–1998) | Catholic Church in | 28 April 1979 | |||
| – | |||||
| 8 April 1984 | John Paul II | ||||
| 5 | [[File:Cardinale-sebastiano-baggio.jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Sebastiano Baggio | |||||
| (1913–1993) | Catholic Church in | 8 April 1984 | |||
| – | |||||
| 31 October 1990 | John Paul II | ||||
| 6 | [[File:No image.svg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Rosalio José Castillo Lara | |||||
| (1922–2007) | Catholic Church in | 31 October 1990 | |||
| – | |||||
| 15 October 1997 | John Paul II | ||||
| 7 | [[File:No image.svg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Edmund Szoka | |||||
| (1927–2014) | Catholic Church in | 15 October 1997 | |||
| – | |||||
| 15 September 2006 | |||||
| 8 | [[File:Card. Giovanni Lajolo.jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Giovanni Lajolo | |||||
| (born 1935) | Catholic Church in | 15 September 2006 | |||
| – | |||||
| 1 October 2011 | Benedict XVI | ||||
| 9 | [[File:Giuseppe Bertello 2016.jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Giuseppe Bertello | |||||
| (born 1942) | Catholic Church in | 1 October 2011 | |||
| – | |||||
| 1 October 2021 | |||||
| 10 | [[File:Fernando Vérgez Alzaga.jpg | 80px]] | Cardinal | ||
| Fernando Vérgez Alzaga | |||||
| (born 1945) | Catholic Church in | 1 October 2021 | |||
| – | |||||
| 1 March 2025 | Francis | ||||
| 11 | [[File:No image.svg | 80px]] | Sister | ||
| Raffaella Petrini | |||||
| (born 1969) | Catholic Church in | 1 March 2025 | |||
| – | |||||
| present |
Notes
References
References
- Pope John Paul II. (26 November 2000). "Fundamental Law of Vatican City State". [[Vatican City State]].
- "Legislative and executive bodies". [[Vatican City State]].
- (15 October 2025). "Resignations and Appointments, 15.10.2025". Holy See Press Office.
- "Administrations and Central Offices". Office of the President of Vatican City State.
- "Presidency of the Governorate of Vatican City State".
- Cardinale, Gianni. (6 January 2022). "Morto il cardinale Álvarez Martínez, 96enne pastore emerito di Toledo". Avvenire.
- (21 November 2025). "Pope Leo consolidates governance reform for Vatican City Commission - Vatican News".
- Meyer, Joyce. "Q&A with Stephanie Ann Puen, theologian and coordinator of Ecclesia of Women in Asia".
- Pope John Paul II. (22 February 1996). "Universi Dominici Gregis".
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