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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Vicar Apostolic</title><script src="https://dtyry4ejybx0.cloudfront.net/js/cmp/cleanmediacmp.js?ver=0104" async="true"></script><script defer data-domain="newadvent.org" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15401b.htm"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="In the early ages of the Church, the popes committed to some residentiary bishops the duty of watching over ecclesiastical matters in a certain region"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://feeds.newadvent.org/bestoftheweb?format=xml"><link rel="icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><meta name="robots" content="noodp"><link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../utility/screen6.css" media="screen"></head> <body class="cathen" id="15401b.htm">  <br/> <div id="capitalcity"><table summary="Logo" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%"><tr valign="bottom"><td align="left"><a href="../"><img height=36 width=153 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></td><td align="right"> <form id="searchbox_000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0" action="../utility/search.htm">  <input type="hidden" name="safe" value="active"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9"/>  <label for="searchQuery" id="searchQueryLabel">Search:</label> <input id="searchQuery" name="q" type="text" size="25" aria-labelledby="searchQueryLabel"/>  <label for="submitButton" id="submitButtonLabel" class="visually-hidden">Submit Search</label> <input id="submitButton" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" aria-labelledby="submitButtonLabel"/> </form> <table summary="Spacer" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td height="2"></td></tr></table> <table summary="Tabs" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../"> Home </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_white_on_color" href="../cathen/index.html"> Encyclopedia </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../summa/index.html"> Summa </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../fathers/index.html"> Fathers </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../bible/gen001.htm"> Bible </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../library/index.html"> Library </a></td> </tr></table> </td> </tr></table><table summary="Alphabetical index" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"> <a href="../cathen/a.htm"> A </a><a href="../cathen/b.htm"> B </a><a href="../cathen/c.htm"> C </a><a href="../cathen/d.htm"> D </a><a href="../cathen/e.htm"> E </a><a href="../cathen/f.htm"> F </a><a href="../cathen/g.htm"> G </a><a href="../cathen/h.htm"> H </a><a href="../cathen/i.htm"> I </a><a href="../cathen/j.htm"> J </a><a href="../cathen/k.htm"> K </a><a href="../cathen/l.htm"> L </a><a href="../cathen/m.htm"> M </a><a href="../cathen/n.htm"> N </a><a href="../cathen/o.htm"> O </a><a href="../cathen/p.htm"> P </a><a href="../cathen/q.htm"> Q </a><a href="../cathen/r.htm"> R </a><a href="../cathen/s.htm"> S </a><a href="../cathen/t.htm"> T </a><a href="../cathen/u.htm"> U </a><a href="../cathen/v.htm"> V </a><a href="../cathen/w.htm"> W </a><a href="../cathen/x.htm"> X </a><a href="../cathen/y.htm"> Y </a><a href="../cathen/z.htm"> Z </a> </td></tr></table></div> <div id="mobilecity" style="text-align: center; "><a href="../"><img height=24 width=102 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></div>  <div id="mi5"><span class="breadcrumbs"><a href="../">Home</a> > <a href="../cathen">Catholic Encyclopedia</a> > <a href="../cathen/v.htm">V</a> > Vicar Apostolic</span></div> <div id="springfield2"> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-top' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <h1>Vicar Apostolic</h1> <p><em><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/na2"><strong>Please help support the mission of New Advent</strong> and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...</a></em></p> <p>(1) In the early ages of the <a href="../cathen/03744a.htm">Church</a>, the <a href="../cathen/12260a.htm">popes</a> committed to some <a href="../cathen/12785b.htm">residentiary</a> <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a> the <a href="../cathen/05215a.htm">duty</a> of watching over <a href="../cathen/03744a.htm">ecclesiastical</a> matters in a certain region, as the <a href="../cathen/01691a.htm">Archbishop</a> of Arles for Gaul and the <a href="../cathen/01691a.htm">Archbishop</a> of <a href="../cathen/14633a.htm">Thessalonica</a> for <a href="../cathen/07663a.htm">Illyria</a>. These <a href="../cathen/12386b.htm">prelates</a> were called vicars Apostolic.</p> <p>(2) Prelates with the title of vicar Apostolic are sometimes commissioned by the <a href="../cathen/07424b.htm">Holy See</a> to administer <a href="../cathen/05001a.htm">dioceses</a> which are vacant, or whose <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a> are prevented from exercising their ordinary <a href="../cathen/08567a.htm">jurisdiction</a> by some impediment. These vicars Apostolic have the powers of <a href="../cathen/15401c.htm">vicars capitular</a> and at times receive also some extraordinary faculties, which much be learnt from their <a href="../cathen/03052b.htm">Brief</a> of appointment.</p> <p>(3) In regions where the ordinary <a href="../cathen/07322c.htm">hierarchy</a> of the <a href="../cathen/03744a.htm">Church</a> has not yet been established, and which consequently fall under the ordinary and immediate <a href="../cathen/08567a.htm">jurisdiction</a> of the <a href="../cathen/12260a.htm">pope</a> in a special manner, the <a href="../cathen/07424b.htm">Holy See</a> usually governs such missionary regions by means of a delegate who has received episcopal <a href="../cathen/04276a.htm">consecration</a> to some <a href="../cathen/08025a.htm">titular see</a>, and who is designated a vicar Apostolic.</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>These <a href="../cathen/12386b.htm">prelates</a> generally have the same powers that <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a> have by common law in their own <a href="../cathen/05001a.htm">dioceses</a>, and the <a href="../cathen/12456a.htm">Congregation of Propaganda</a> also concedes to them various extraordinary faculties. All these powers, however, are delegated, not ordinary. As they are not diocesan <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a>, they have not <a href="../cathen/03438a.htm">cathedral</a> or chapter (S.C. Prop., 27 Nov., 1858). Without special concession from the <a href="../cathen/07424b.htm">Holy See</a>, they may not concede the usual forty days <a href="../cathen/07783a.htm">indulgence</a>, nor erect a throne in a church, nor wear the capa magna, nor have their names inserted in the <a href="../cathen/03255c.htm">canon of the Mass</a> (Collect. S.C. Prop., 1883 n. 139, etc.). While they may not constitute ordinary vicars-general, they can give special faculties to various <a href="../cathen/12406a.htm">priests</a> to assist them in administering the vicariate. They must, in addition, name some proper secular or <a href="../cathen/12722c.htm">regular</a> cleric who, in case of their unexpected demise, may rule the region as pro-vicar until other provision is made. The pro-vicar has the same faculties as the vicar, except those that flow from episcopal <a href="../cathen/04276a.htm">consecration</a>. He can, however, in case of necessity <a href="../cathen/04276a.htm">consecrate</a> <a href="../cathen/03561a.htm">chalices</a>, <a href="../cathen/11541b.htm">patens</a>, and <a href="../cathen/01348b.htm">portable altars</a>, with oils <a href="../cathen/04276a.htm">consecrated</a> by some <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishop</a>. Regulars in a missionary district must communicate their letters patent to the vicar Apostolic, and in the <a href="../cathen/04572a.htm">cure of souls</a> are subject to his authority. Vicars apostolic are appointed outside of Consistory by a special <a href="../cathen/03052b.htm">pontifical brief</a>, and later this provision is merely published in Consistory. All matters concerning the promotion of vicars Apostolic are conducted by <a href="../cathen/12456a.htm">Propaganda</a> on the lines of the Constitution, "Gravissimum", of <a href="../cathen/02432a.htm">Benedict XIV</a> (18 Jan., 1757) and the later Decrees of the <a href="../cathen/07424b.htm">Holy See</a> (Collect. S.C. Prop., n. 38-87). There are about 150 vicariates in existence at present.</p> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-bottom' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <div class="cenotes"><h2>Sources</h2><p class="cenotes">TAUTON, The Law of the Church (London, 1906), s.v.; WERNZ, Jus decretalium, II (Rome, 1899); FERRARIS, Bibliotheca canonica, VII (Rome, 1891), s.v.</p></div> <div class="pub"><h2>About this page</h2><p id="apa"><strong>APA citation.</strong> <span id="apaauthor">Fanning, W.</span> <span id="apayear">(1912).</span> <span id="apaarticle">Vicar Apostolic.</span> In <span id="apawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="apapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company.</span> <span id="apaurl">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15401b.htm</span></p><p id="mla"><strong>MLA citation.</strong> <span id="mlaauthor">Fanning, William.</span> <span id="mlaarticle">"Vicar Apostolic."</span> <span id="mlawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="mlavolume">Vol. 15.</span> <span id="mlapublisher">New York: Robert Appleton Company,</span> <span id="mlayear">1912.</span> <span id="mlaurl"><http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15401b.htm>.</span></p><p id="transcription"><strong>Transcription.</strong> <span id="transcriber">This article was transcribed for New Advent by Thomas M. Barrett.</span> <span id="dedication">Dedicated to the preservation of life from conception to natural death.</span></p><p id="approbation"><strong>Ecclesiastical approbation.</strong> <span id="nihil"><em>Nihil Obstat.</em> October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.</span> <span id="imprimatur"><em>Imprimatur.</em> +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.</span></p><p id="contactus"><strong>Contact information.</strong> The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster <em>at</em> newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.</p></div> </div> <div id="ogdenville"><table summary="Bottom bar" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"><center><strong>Copyright © 2023 by <a href="../utility/contactus.htm">New Advent LLC</a>. 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