Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator is a prelate appointed by the Holy See to govern a particular church or ecclesiastical territory in the name of the Roman Pontiff.
Nature of the office
The appointment may be temporary during a vacancy or difficulty, or may govern a territory erected as an apostolic administration. Its powers come from the papal decree of appointment and applicable universal law rather than from election by the college of consultors.[1]
Canonical place
An apostolic administrator must be distinguished from a diocesan administrator. The former is appointed by the Holy See and can receive specifically defined faculties; the latter normally arises through the ordinary vacancy procedure in canon law.
References
- Back to citation Code of Canon Law, canon 371 §2 and canons 416–430 — Universal or special law governing the office and its competence.