Capitular Vicar

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The Kapitularvikar , also chapter vicar , Vicarius Capitularis , was the administrator of a Roman Catholic diocese during the time of the Sedis vacancy .

The one who was elected by the cathedral chapter of the vacant diocese for a transitional period led the spiritual and secular official business of the diocese until the enthronement of the new bishop (cf. Can. 432 CIC (1917)), only commissioned to manage the business, he was not allowed to make far-reaching decisions meet (cf. Can. 435 par. 3 (1917)).

The capitular vicars became of particular importance in the period after secularization , during which the dioceses , especially in the (near end) Holy Roman Empire , were not occupied for many years, so that the term of office of a capitular vicar could last for years. The nominations of Napoleon were usually no longer confirmed after Pope Pius VII was imprisoned , so that the nominee was elected by the cathedral chapter to the second capitular vicar, who led the official business as "quasi-bishop" (see Ferdinand August von Spiegel ). In other dioceses or their remnants there were "apostolic" capitular vicars who were given extensive rights by the Pope and confirmed or installed in their office. That was z. This is the case, for example, in the Archdiocese of Cologne, which only consists of areas on the right of the Rhine , where the vicar capitular possessed all rights , with the exception of ordinations reserved for a bishop . To ensure the successor, the capitular vicars appointed coadjutors with papal authority , e.g. B. in the diocese of Münster the vicar capitular Fürstenberg the canons of Droste . Since they had also often received far-reaching powers through the Apostolic See , they (gladly) called themselves Apostolic Capitular Vicars.

In execution of the resolutions of the 2nd Vatican Council , the vicar capitulars were replaced by diocesan administrators (cf. Can. 421 (1983)).

literature

• Joseph Weier: Article Chapter Vicar . In: LThK , 2nd edition, volume 5, Herder, Freiburg Br. 1960, column 1326f.