Prefecture of the Papal House

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Basic data
Surname Prefecture of the Pontifical House
(Pontificalis Domus)
Seat Cortile di San Damaso
SCV-00120 Città del Vaticano
prefect Archbishop Georg Gänswein
(since 2012, on leave for an indefinite period)

The prefecture of the Papal House ( Latin : Pontificalis Domus ) was founded in its current form by Pope Paul VI. Erected on August 15, 1967. She is responsible for the employees and the smooth running of the papal household. All non-liturgical ceremonies of the Pope are prepared and coordinated by her.

Pontificalis Domus are at the same time the opening words and thus the title of the motu proprio of March 28, 1967, with which the papal budget was reorganized.

history

Originally the prefecture was called the Prefecture of the Apostolic Palace , but was transformed and was created in its current form through the union of the Maggiordomo of His Holiness and the Congregation for Ceremonies . The prefecture is now also responsible for the functions of the old Maestro di Casa dei Sacri Palazzi , as well as the coat of arms commission for the papal court. As early as 1968 it took over the current name due to the resumption of the traditional name Papal House . Originally belonging to the offices of the Curia , Pope John Paul II took it out of the Curia on March 28, 1986 with the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus , but it remains an organ of the Curia. Above all, she ensures the internal order of the Casa Pontificia and is also responsible for the discipline and service of all those who make up the Cappella Pontificia and the Famiglia Pontificia .

organization

It is one of the tasks of the prefecture to ensure order in audiences and ceremonies in the papal palace , but also in papal visits inside and outside Rome. It has to organize and regulate the public and private papal audiences, which a Maestro di Camera previously took care of. His task was to receive the high personalities from the Church and the world who went to an audience with the Holy Father and whom he introduced to him. He also watched over the normal service during the audiences himself. Another task of the prefecture is the preparation of papal ceremonies, such as canonizations , ordinations, priestly or episcopal ordinations , solemn papal masses etc. However, the strictly liturgical part already falls within the scope of the office for the Liturgical celebrations of the Pope . Furthermore, it makes all the necessary orders if the Pope leaves the Vatican to go to his diocese of Rome or another Italian diocese. Together with the State Secretariat , she prepares pastoral visits abroad or state visits by heads of state , heads of government and ministers in the Vatican.

The prefecture's protocol also stipulates the order and rank to be observed in these religious or civil ceremonies when cardinals are to be given their special rank in the Vatican or when ambassadors or other accredited representatives register with the Holy See. It also determines the precedents for the various ecclesiastical, state or military authorities of the Vatican State as the sole competent body. Therefore it is relevant to questions of etiquette.

The management of the prefecture is always entrusted to a bishop with the title of prefect of the papal house , who through this task is considered to be the Pope's confidante for the administration of his sovereign house. In order to cope with his tasks, he has a rain, an assistant for languages ​​and an official for the protocol. He also has to summon all members of the Casa Pontificia for the respective religious and civil ceremonies, to determine their individual services, to watch over the order of the ceremonies themselves and to watch everything that is necessary for their correct and smooth operation according to the respectively established norms and requirements. He must also ensure that all persons are named who are assigned their tasks and who collaborate as required.

Coat of arms of the prefect

Archbishop's coat of arms Gänswein in the pontificate of Francis
Archbishop's coat of arms Gänswein during the pontificate of Benedict XVI.
Cardinal coat of arms of Mario Nasalli Rocca di Corneliano with coat of arms of Pope Paul VI.

Prefects of the Papal House can use the Pope's coat of arms as part of their own coat of arms. The archbishop's coat of arms of Georg Gänswein showed the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI until 2013 . , since then the coat of arms of Pope Francis .

Prefects

Prefects of the Papal House

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ginetti, Marzio. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website , English)
  2. ↑ Boncompagni, Girolamo. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website , English)
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Philippe Bountry: VII - Famille pontificale . In: Souverain et pontife. Recherches prosopographiques sur la Curie Romaine à l'âge de la Restoration (1814–1846) . École française de Rome, Rome 2002, VII.1 - Majordome du Pape et préfet des palais apostoliques , margin no. 4 (French, online edition [accessed June 18, 2019]).