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The Secretary of State of His Holiness (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae, it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
's Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia. The Secretariat of State performs all the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See and the
Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...
. The Secretary of State is sometimes described as the
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
of the Holy See, even though the nominal
head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
of Vatican City is the
President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State 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 of Vatican City. It consists of a president, who als ...
. The Secretary of State is currently Cardinal
Pietro Parolin Pietro Parolin OMRI (, ; born 17 January 1955) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. A cardinal since February 2014, he has served as the Vatican's Secretary of State since October 2013 and a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisers si ...
.


Duties

The Cardinal Secretary is appointed by the
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, and serves as one of his principal advisors. As one of the senior offices in the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, the secretary is required to be 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, t ...
. If the office is vacant, a non-cardinal may serve as pro-tem secretary of state, exercising the powers of the Secretary of State until a suitable replacement is found or the Pro-Secretary is made a cardinal in a subsequent consistory. The Cardinal Secretary's term ends when the Pope who appointed him dies or leaves office. During the ''
sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. Hi ...
'' period, the former secretary acts as a member of a commission with the
Camerlengo 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 regu ...
and the former
President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State 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 of Vatican City. It consists of a president, who als ...
, which exercises some of the functions of the
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
of the Vatican City until a new Pope is elected. Once the new Pope is chosen, the former secretary's role in the commission likewise expires, though he can be re-appointed as Secretary of State.


History

The office traces its origins to that of ''secretarius intimus'', created by
Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...
in the early 16th century to handle correspondence with the diplomatic missions of the Holy See, which were just beginning to become permanent postings instead of missions sent on particular occasions. At this stage the secretary was a fairly minor functionary, the Vatican administration being led by the Cardinal Nephew, the Pope's confidant usually taken from his family. The imprudence of
Pope Julius III Pope Julius III ( la, Iulius PP. III; it, Giulio III; 10 September 1487 – 23 March 1555), born Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 February 1550 to his death in March 155 ...
in entrusting the office of Cardinal Nephew to his alleged lover Innocenzo Ciocchi Del Monte, a teenaged, virtually illiterate street urchin whom his brother had adopted a few years earlier, led to an upgrading of the Secretary's job, as the incumbent had to take over the duties the Cardinal Nephew was unfit for. By the time of Pope Innocent X the Secretary of State was always himself a Cardinal, and Pope Innocent XII abolished the office of Cardinal Nephew in 1692. From then onwards the Secretary of State has been the most important of the officials of the Holy See. In 1968,
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
's apostolic constitution ''Regimini Ecclesiae Universae'' further enhanced the powers of the Secretary, placing him over all the other departments of the Roman Curia. In 1973 Paul further broadened the Secretaryship by abolishing the ancient office of Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church and merging its functions into those of the Secretary.


List


Secretaries of State between 1551 and 1644

* Girolamo Dandini (1551–1555) * Carlo Borromeo (1560–1565) *
Tolomeo Gallio Tolomeo Gallio (also spelled Gallo and Galli; 25 September 1527 – 3 or 4 February 1607) was an Italian Cardinal. Biography In the time of Pope Gregory XIII, he acted as papal secretary of state (in office 1572 to 1585), having a key role ...
(1565–1566) * Girolamo Rusticucci (1566–1572) *
Tolomeo Gallio Tolomeo Gallio (also spelled Gallo and Galli; 25 September 1527 – 3 or 4 February 1607) was an Italian Cardinal. Biography In the time of Pope Gregory XIII, he acted as papal secretary of state (in office 1572 to 1585), having a key role ...
(again) (1572–1585) * Decio Azzolini (seniore) (1585–1587) * Alessandro Peretti di Montalto (Cardinal-Nephew) (1587–1590) * Paolo Emilio Sfondrati (Cardinal-Nephew) (1591) *
Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti de Nuce Pope Innocent IX ( la, Innocentius IX; it, Innocenzo IX; 20 July 1519 – 30 December 1591), born Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 October to 30 December 1591. Prior to h ...
(Cardinal-Nephew) (1591) * Pierbenedetto Peretti (1592–1593) * Pietro Aldobrandini (Cardinal-Nephew) and
Cinzio Passeri Aldobrandini Cinzio Aldobrandini (1551 – 1 January 1610) was an Italian cardinal. Name In some documents he is known as Cinzio Personeni Aldobrandini or Cinzio Passeri Aldobrandini because, after settling in Romagna, the family varied its name according to ...
(Cardinal-Nephew) (1593–1605) * Roberto Ubaldini (1605) *
Erminio Valenti Erminio Valenti (1564 – 22 August 1618) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 18 Sep 1605, he was consecrated bishop by Pietro Aldobrandini, Archbishop of Ravenna, with Ludovico de Torres, Archbishop of Monreale, and Laudivio Zacchi ...
(1605) *Lanfranco Margotti (1605–1611) * Porifrio Feliciani (1611–1621) *
Giovanni Battista Agucchi Giovanni Battista Agucchi (20 November 15701 January 1632) was an Italian churchman, Papal diplomat and writer on art theory. He was the nephew and brother of cardinals, and might have been one himself if he had lived longer. He served as secret ...
(1621–1623) *
Lorenzo Magalotti Lorenzo Magalotti (24 October 1637 – 2 March 1712) was an Italian philosopher, author, diplomat and poet. Magalotti was born in Rome into an aristocratic family, the son of Ottavio Magalotti, Prefect of the Pontifical Mail: his uncle Lorenz ...
(1623–1628) *
Lorenzo Azzolini Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...
(1628–1632) * Pietro Benessa (1632–1634) * Francesco Adriano Ceva (1634–1643) * Giovanni Battista Spada (1643–1644)


Cardinal Secretaries of State since 1644

#
Giovanni Giacomo Panciroli Giovanni Giacomo Panciroli (1587 – 3 September 1651) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal Secretary of State. Life Panciroli was born in 1587 in Rome and was educated there, receiving a doctorate '' utroque iure'' in 1605. He bec ...
(1644–1651) # Fabio Chigi (1651–1655); then elected
Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...
(1655–1667) # Giulio Rospigliosi (1655–1667); then elected Pope Clement IX (1667–1669) # Decio Azzolini (iuniore) (1667–1669) #
Federico Borromeo (iuniore) Federico Borromeo, iuniore (29 May 1617 – 18 February 1673) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 30 Nov 1654, he was consecrated bishop by Francesco Peretti di Montalto, Archbishop of Monreale, with Giovan Battista Foppa, Archbisho ...
(1670–1673) #
Francesco Nerli (iuniore) Francesco Nerli, iuniore (12 June 1636 – 8 April 1708) was a Roman Catholic cardinal. Biography On 6 Jul 1670, he was consecrated bishop by Carlo Carafa della Spina, Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna, with Giambattista Spínola (seniore), A ...
(1673–1676) # Alderano Cybo (1676–1689) # Giambattista Rubini (1689–1691) #
Fabrizio Spada Fabrizio Spada (Rome, 17 March 1643 – Rome, 15 June 1717) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, and served as Secretary of State under Pope Innocent XII. Life Born on March 17, 1643 in Rome, he was the son of Orazio Spada and ...
(1691–1700) # Fabrizio Paolucci (1700–1721) (first time) #
Giorgio Spinola Giorgio may refer to: * Castel Giorgio, ''comune'' in Umbria, Italy * Giorgio (name), an Italian given name and surname * Giorgio Moroder, or Giorgio, Italian record producer ** ''Giorgio'' (album), an album by Giorgio Moroder * "Giorgio" (song), ...
(1721–1724) # Fabrizio Paolucci (1724–1726) (second time) #
Niccolò Maria Lercari Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The f ...
(1726–1730) #
Antonio Banchieri Antonio Banchieri (19 May 1667 - 16 September 1733) was an Italian cardinal. Life Born in Pistoia, he belonged to the Banchieri noble family and was the son of Niccolò, gonfaloniere of Pistoia and knight of Santo Stefano, and his wife lady Cate ...
(1730–1733) # Giuseppe Firrao, Sr. (1733–1740) # Silvio Valenti Gonzaga (1740–1756) #
Alberico Archinto Alberico Archinto (8 November 1698 – 30 September 1758) — was an Italian cardinal and papal diplomat. Biography Archinto entered the Roman Curia in 1724. Twelve years later he was ordained to the priesthood, and on 1 November 1739 received ...
(1756–1758) #
Ludovico Maria Torriggiani Ludovico Maria Torrigiani. Luigi Maria Torreggiani (October 18, 1697 – January 6, 1777) was an Italian Cardinal. Some refer to him also as ''Ludovico Maria Torrigiani''. Born to an aristocratic family in Florence. His skills in ecclesiastical of ...
(1758–1769) #
Lazzaro Opizio Pallavicini Lazzaro Opizio Pallavicini or Pallavicino (30 October 1719 – 23 February 1785) was a cardinal of the Catholic Church starting in 26 September 1766. He was born in Genoa, Italy. He was the nephew of Cardinal Lazzaro Pallavicino (1602-1680). ...
(1769–1785) # Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi (1785–1789) # Francesco Saverio de Zelada (1789–1796) #
Ignazio Busca Ignazio Busca (31 August 1731 in Milan – 12 August 1803 in Rome) was an Italian cardinal and Secretary of State of the Holy See. He was the last son of Lodovico Busca, marquess of Lomagna and Bianca Arconati Visconti. he took a degree in '' ut ...
(1796–1797) #
Giuseppe Doria Pamphili Giuseppe Maria Doria Pamphili (born 11 November 1751 in Genoa, the capital of the Republic of Genoa – died on 8 February 1816 in Rome) was an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Cardinal Secretary of State. Biography Giuseppe ...
(1797–1799) #
Ercole Consalvi Ercole Consalvi (8 June 1757 – 24 January 1824) was a deacon and cardinal of the Catholic Church, who served twice as Cardinal Secretary of State for the Papal States and who played a crucial role in the post-Napoleonic reassertion of the leg ...
, pro-secretary (1800); secretary (1800–1806) # Filippo Casoni (1806–1808) #
Giulio Gabrielli the Younger Giulio Gabrielli ("The younger"; 20 July 1748 – 26 September 1822) was an Italian Catholic Church's cardinal. He spent most of his career in the Roman Curia. Gabrielli was born in Rome to a princely family originally from Gubbio in th ...
(1808–1814) - Giuseppe Doria Pamphilj, pro-secretary (1808) -
Bartolomeo Pacca Bartolomeo Pacca (27 December 1756, Benevento – 19 April 1844) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, and statesman as Cardinal Secretary of State. Pacca served as apostolic nuncio to Cologne, and later to Lisbon. Biography Bartolomeo Pacca was ...
, pro-secretary (1808–1814) #
Ercole Consalvi Ercole Consalvi (8 June 1757 – 24 January 1824) was a deacon and cardinal of the Catholic Church, who served twice as Cardinal Secretary of State for the Papal States and who played a crucial role in the post-Napoleonic reassertion of the leg ...
(1814–1823) #
Giulio Maria della Somaglia Giulio Maria della Somaglia (29 July 1744 – 2 April 1830) was an Italian cardinal. He was, in his later life — a staunch '' zelante'' cardinal who, as Secretary of State under Pope Leo XII, helped enforce an authoritarian regime in the ...
(28 September 1823 – 17 January 1828) #
Tommaso Bernetti Tommaso Bernetti (29 December 1779 – 21 March 1852) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and cardinal who served in the Secretariat of State and the Roman Curia during his time in the cardinalate. He came from Fermo and was named a cardinal ...
, pro-secretary (17 June 1828 – 10 February 1829) (first time) # Giuseppe Albani (31 March 1829 – 30 November 1830) #
Tommaso Bernetti Tommaso Bernetti (29 December 1779 – 21 March 1852) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and cardinal who served in the Secretariat of State and the Roman Curia during his time in the cardinalate. He came from Fermo and was named a cardinal ...
, pro-secretary (21 February – 10 August 1831); cardinal secretary (10 August 1831 – 12 January 1836) (second time) # Luigi Lambruschini (12 January 1836 – 1 June 1846) # Tommaso Pasquale Gizzi (8 August 1846 – 5 July 1847) # Gabriele Ferretti (17 July 1847 – 31 December 1848) #
Giuseppe Bofondi Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giuse ...
(1 February – 10 March 1848) # Giacomo Antonelli (10 March – 3 May 1848) (first time) #
Anton Orioli Anton may refer to: People *Anton (given name), including a list of people with the given name *Anton (surname) Places *Anton Municipality, Bulgaria **Anton, Sofia Province, a village *Antón District, Panama **Antón, a town and capital of th ...
(5 May – 4 June 1848), cardinal secretary ad interim # Giovanni Soglia Ceroni (4 June – 29 November 1848) # Giacomo Antonelli (29 November 1848 – 6 November 1876) (second time) #
Giovanni Simeoni Giovanni Simeoni (July 12, 1816 – January 14, 1892) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Propagation of the Faith from 1878 until his death, and was elevated to the card ...
(18 December 1876 – 7 February 1878)


In popular culture

Silvio Orlando portrayed fictional Cardinal Secretary of State Voiello in the 2016
Sky Italia Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian satellite television platform owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast. Sky Italia also broadcasts three national free-to-air television channels: TV8, Cielo and Sky TG24. As of 2018, following an agre ...
Sky Atlantic HBO Canal+ co-produced television series ''
The Young Pope ''The Young Pope'' is a drama television series created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino for Sky Atlantic, HBO, and Canal+. The series stars Jude Law as the disruptive Pope Pius XIII and Diane Keaton as his confidante, Sister Mary, in a Vatica ...
'' and the 2019 follow-up series '' The New Pope''.


See also

* Secretary of State *
Index of Vatican City-related articles Index (or its plural form indices) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Index (''A Certain Magical Index''), a character in the light novel series ''A Certain Magical Index'' * The Index, an item on a Halo megastru ...


References


External links


Secretary of State: a Top Collaborator
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cardinal Secretary Of State 1551 establishments in the Papal States