Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Leadership | |
President | Raffaella Petrini since 1 March 2025 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 7 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 5 years |
| Elections | |
| Appointment by thePope | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Palace of the Governorate | |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
ThePontifical Commission for Vatican City State (Latin:Pontificia Commissio pro Civitate Vaticana,Italian:Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Città del Vaticano) is thelegislative body ofVatican City.[1] It consists of a president, who also holds the title of President of the Governorate and deputizes as thehead of government of Vatican City, as well as sixcardinals appointed by thePope, thehead of state of Vatican City, for five-year terms.[1]
The Pontifical Commission was created in 1939 byPius XII. Laws and regulations proposed by the Commission must be submitted to the Pope through theSecretariat of State prior to being made public and taking effect.[1] Laws, regulations, and instructions enacted by the Commission are published in theActa Apostolicae Sedis.[2]
Following the most recent changes on 15 October 2025,[3] the president and the members are:
| Position | Name | Country | Other positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | SisterRaffaella Petrini |  Italy | President of the Governorate of Vatican City State |
| Members | CardinalKevin J. Farrell |  United States | |
| CardinalClaudio Gugerotti | Italy | Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches | |
| CardinalArthur Roche |  United Kingdom | Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments | |
| CardinalLazzaro You Heung-sik |  South Korea | Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy | |
| CardinalBlase Cupich | United States | Archbishop of Chicago | |
| CardinalBaldassare Reina | Italy | Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome |
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Administrations and departments of Vatican City's government, including theCorps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, theVatican Observatory, theVatican Museums and the Department of Pontifical Villas, which administersCastel Gandolfo, report to the Governorate.[4]
The functions of the Governorate include:
| President of the Governorate of Vatican City State | |
|---|---|
since 1 March 2025 | |
| Type | Delegatedhead of government[a] |
| Member of |
|
| Reports to | ThePope |
| Appointer | The Pope |
The president of the Pontifical Commission also serves as the Vatican City State'sde factohead of government, as thepresident of the Governorate of Vatican City State, an office that is distinct from the former title ofgovernor of Vatican City.[5][b] In addition to their legislative role, the president is delegatedexecutive authority for Vatican City by the Pope.[1][2] As a senior member of theRoman Curia, the president has usually been acardinal.[6]Raffaella Petrini is the first woman to hold the position. Article 8 n. 1, of the Fundamental Law, promulgated in 2023, previously stated: “The Pontifical Commission is composed of Cardinals, including the President, and of other members, appointed by the Supreme Pontiff for a five-year term.” But in 2025,Pope Leo XIV replaced this with, “The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is composed of Cardinals and other members, including the President, appointed by the Supreme Pontiff for a five-year term”, thus allowing people who are not cardinals to be president.[7][8]
When the papacy is vacant, the term of the president ends, as do most other offices in the Curia, and the person occupying the position becomes a member of the Commission that handles some of the functions ofhead of state until a new pope is chosen, along with theCardinal Secretary of State and theCardinal Camerlengo.[9]
| No. | Image | Name | Nationality | Term | Reigning pope(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Cardinal Nicola Canali (1874–1961) | Italy | 20 March 1939 – 3 August 1961 | |
| 2 | .jpg) | Cardinal Amleto Giovanni Cicognani (1883–1973) | Italy | 12 August 1961 – 30 April 1969 |
|
| 3 |  | Cardinal Jean-Marie Villot (1905–1979) |  France | 2 May 1969 – 9 March 1979 |
|
| 4 | .jpg) | Cardinal Agostino Casaroli (1914–1998) | Italy | 28 April 1979 – 8 April 1984 | John Paul II |
| 5 |  | Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio (1913–1993) | Italy | 8 April 1984 – 31 October 1990 | John Paul II |
| 6 |  | Cardinal Rosalio José Castillo Lara (1922–2007) |  Venezuela | 31 October 1990 – 15 October 1997 | John Paul II |
| 7 | | Cardinal Edmund Szoka (1927–2014) | United States | 15 October 1997 – 15 September 2006 |
|
| 8 |  | Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo (born 1935) | Italy | 15 September 2006 – 1 October 2011 | Benedict XVI |
| 9 |  | Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello (born 1942) | Italy | 1 October 2011 – 1 October 2021 |
|
| 10 |  | Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga (born 1945) |  Spain | 1 October 2021 – 1 March 2025 | Francis |
| 11 | | Sister Raffaella Petrini (born 1969) | Italy | 1 March 2025 – present |
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