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Prefecture of the Papal Household

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The Prefecture for the of the Pontifical Household or Papal Household, formerly known as Maestro di Camera del Papa is an office of the Roman Curia. It is responsible for the famiglia pontificia, or Papal Family, and the cappella papale.

Functions

As the Pastor Bonus states "The Prefecture of the Papal Household looks after the internal organization of the papal household, and supervises everything concerning the conduct and service of all clerics and laypersons who make up the papal chapel and family. It is at the service of the Supreme Pontiff, both in the Apostolic Palace and when he travels in Rome or in Italy."[1]

It is the title of one of the four Vatican palace prelates, and actual chief Chamberlain of the Vatican. His jurisdiction is limited exclusively to the reception rooms of the pope and he supervises all matters concerning the daily personal service of the pontiff, such as household affairs, Vatican guards, petitions for audiences, etc.

For visitors to Rome, the Prefecture's most important role is that of arranging admittance to audience of the Pope.

The Pope's weekly general audience is normally held on Wednesday morning, and applications for admission should be sent directly to the Prefecture of the Papal Household (address: Vatican City; Fax + 39 06 6988 5863).

Tickets (which are completely free of charge) can be collected after 3:00 p.m. on the afternoon preceding the audience from the Prefecture's office at the Bronze Door. This is in St Peter’s Square, at the Basilica end of the right-hand colonnade. Tickets can usually be collected also in the early morning of the day of the audience, before the audience begins.

Requests to attend other papal ceremonies should also be sent to the Prefecture.

On Sundays at noon the Pope addresses the people gathered in St Peter's Square or, during the summer, at his summer residence at Castelgandolfo, and gives his blessing. No ticket is necessary.

Members

At its broadest this includes all Cardinals - and especially the Palatine Cardinals - Patriarchs, Bishops Assistant to the Papal Throne, all other bishops who happen to be present at the Curia, other high officials of the Curia, Princes Assistant to the Papal Throne, secretaries and assessors of the Sacred Congregations, apostolic protonotaries, generals and procurators of the religious Orders, consistorial advocates, ecclesiastical privy chamberlains, and many others, including the monsignori.

The palatine prelates included the master of the chamber (the prefect of the Bedchamber), the auditor of the Household, and the Master of the Sacred Palace, who was usually a Dominican (the last is "master" in the academic sense, and is now called Theologian of the Pontifical Household, as below). The Participating Privy Chamberlains included an Archbishop as Privy Almoner, the Secretary of Letters to Princes, the Secretary of the Code, the Under-datary of the Household, the Secretary for Latin Letters, and three Participating Privy Chamberlains on weekly rotation. These were the Cupbearer (who was deputy master of the Chamber), the Secretary of Embassies, and the Keeper of the Wardrobe. Other Participating Privy Chamberlains included the sacristan of the Household (an Augustinian since 1352, ranking as an Archbishop), and the Grand Master of the Sacred Apostolic Hospice, Prince Ruspoli, who was the sole layman in the Noble Privy Antechamber.

The Pontifical Household was severely reduced in magnificence in 1968, when many offices were abolished or reformed. Surviving offices include that of the Theologian of the Pontifical Household, currently Father Wojciech Giertych of the Dominican Order of Preachers, and Preacher to the Papal Household, currently Father Raniero Cantalamessa.[2] The Pro-theologian of the Pontifical Household was Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P. until Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr Wojtech Giertych, O.P. in 2005.

The Prefecture includes the Papal Gentlemen. Other major offices include the Majordomo of the Household, or Papal Major Domo, who was a palatine prelate, and prefect of the Apostolic Palace.

The Papal guards, other than the Swiss Guard, were the Noble Guard and the Palatine Guard, and were abolished by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

The Prefectures runs the Apostolic Palace, containing the Papal Apartments, and the Pontifical Palace and Villa Barberini in the town of Castel Gandolfo.

The current Prefect of the household is James Michael Harvey, appointed in 1998 to replace Dino Monduzzi. Cardinal Monduzzi, who had served under four popes, died in October of 2006. Until 2005 the adjunct prefect was papal secretary Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who is now the Cardinal Archbishop of Kraków. The Pope's private secretary is Monsignor Georg Gänswein.

List of Prefects of the Papal Household (formerly called "Maestro di Camera")

Former positions

These were also Participating Privy Chamberlains of the Sword and Cape (laymen, traditionally holding hereditary posts) -

The Colonel of the Swiss Guard is the sole survivor of these.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19880628_pastor-bonus-other-institutes_en.html
  2. ^ http://www.cantalamessa.org/en/predicatore.php
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