Characteristics
Apostolic administrators of stable administrations are equivalent in canon law with diocesan bishops and archbishops, meaning they have essentially the same authority as a diocesan bishop and archbishop. This type of apostolic administrator is usually the bishop or archbishop of a titular see.
Administrators sede vacante or sede plena only serve in their role until a newly chosen diocesan bishop or archbishop takes possession of the (arch)diocese. They are restricted by canon law in what they can do to the (arch)diocese they temporarily administer. For example, such an administrator may not sell real estate owned by the diocese or archdiocese. This type of administrator is commonly an auxiliary bishop and a priest serving as the vicar general of the (arch)diocese, or the ordinary of a neighboring (arch)diocese.
Normally when a diocese or archdiocese falls vacant, either the previously appointed coadjutor bishop takes possession of the see, or (a successor is not yet installed) a vicar capitular or (arch)diocesan administrator is chosen locally but the pope, being head of the Catholic Church, may decide to name an administrator himself instead of waiting for the college of consultors of a particular diocese or archdiocese to appoint a diocesan or archdiocesan administrator where it is then called an apostolic administrator. Sometimes a retiring, promoted or transferred (arch)bishop is designated to be apostolic administrator until his successor is installed; sometimes the metropolitan or a fellow suffragan is appointed.
Apostolic administrations
In March 2021, there were the following stable apostolic administrations, most administered by a (titular or external) bishop. [1]
Most are of the Roman rite; most are in former or current communist countries.
- Apostolic Administration of Atyrau, in Kazakhstan, suffragan of the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Astana [2] [3]
- Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus, immediately subject to the Holy See, established in 1991 for two predominantly Orthodox former Soviet Republics: Georgia (the cathedral is in its capital Tbilisi) and Armenia
- Apostolic Administration of Estonia, one of the Baltic Countries; immediately subject to Rome, established in 1924, with its cathedral in the capital Tallinn
- Apostolic Administration of Harbin in the People's Republic of China, immediately subject to Rome, established in 1935, with a cathedral and a bishop without papal mandate since 2012, recognized from the Holy See in 2018
- Apostolic Administration of Kinmen-Matsu [ zh ], immediately subject to the Holy See, established in 1968 for Fuchien Province (Kinmen and Matsu Islands) of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan, a mainly Islamic former Soviet Republic in Central Asia; immediately subject to Rome, founded in 1997 as a mission sui juris and promoted in 2006
- Apostolic Administration of Uzbekistan, predominantly Islamic former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, immediately subject to Rome, founded in 1997 as a mission sui juris and promoted in 2005.
Some apostolic administrations have jurisdiction not only over Latin Rite Catholics, but also over Catholics of other rites, not having their own jurisdictions there:
Also some apostolic administrations have jurisdiction only over Catholics of the Byzantine Rite, that not having their own jurisdictions there:
Temporary administration of vacant sees
It is fairly typical that the pope may decide to name an administrator himself to a diocese or archdiocese which lacks an ordinary (bishop or archbishop) called as apostolic administrator instead of waiting for the college of consultors of a particular (arch)diocese to appoint a diocesan or archdiocesan administrator. Usually, the emeritus (arch)bishop will be appointed in such a case. If the appointed apostolic administrator is a diocesan bishop or archbishop of a diocese or archdiocese, then he governs two (arch)dioceses which are his own and the vacant one, with the latter being temporarily while a successor of a vacant (arch)diocese is not yet installed. Recently (and in exception to the latter), the archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh had Philip Tartaglia under this procedure.
For example, Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, was appointed as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on 8 December 2019 and ended his tenure as the archdiocese's archbishop when he took office in 9 February 2020. Broderick Soncuaco Pabillo, then-Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, was then appointed as apostolic administrator until Cardinal Jose Advincula became Tagle's successor as archbishop in 24 June 2021.
Ruperto Cruz Santos, fourth Bishop of Balanga in Bataan for 13 years, 3 months, and 21 days from 1 April 2010 as bishop-elect from 1 April to 8 July 2010 and as installed bishop of Balanga from July 2010 to 22 July 2023 where he succeeded Socrates Villegas as the diocese's bishop, was appointed as fifth Bishop of Antipolo having jurisdiction over Marikina in Metro Manila and the province of Rizal on 24 May 2023 and ended his tenure as the diocese's bishop when he assumed the position on 22 July 2023. Florentino Galang Lavarias, Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga, was then appointed as the diocese's apostolic administrator while awaiting for the installation of Santos' successor as Bishop of Balanga.
Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, the Bishop of Hong Kong, died on 3 January 2019. Cardinal John Tong Hon, Bishop Emeritus, was appointed as apostolic administrator.
There is also the ability for the pope to appoint an apostolic administrator sede plena . Anthony Sablan Apuron, the Archbishop of Agaña, was under investigation for sexual abuse in June 2016; Pope Francis appointed Savio Hon Tai-fai as apostolic administrator sede plena, as temporary replacement. On 31 October 2016, Michael J. Byrnes, then Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Agaña with full administrative authority, and later succeeded as archbishop.
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