SEDE
VACANTE
CARDINAL
CAMERLENGO AND APOSTOLIC CAMERA
H.E. CARD TARCISIO BERTONE, S.D.B. - CAMERLENGO OF THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH
Vatican
City, 4 March 2013 (VIS) – A student of the history of the Roman
Curia, in particular the office called the Apostolic Camera, will find that, as
early as the 11th century, the term "camera thesauraria" (treasure
chamber) appeared, describing an office set up to administer the finances of
the Roman Curia and the temporal goods of the Holy See. Today it performs the
latter task only in the period of "sede vacante" or vacant see.
In the 12th century, the head of that office was known as the
"camerarius," or camerlengo (chamberlain) - a title which carries
over to today. That same century saw the former offices of viceroy, treasurer
and wardrobe guardian incorporated into this single department. In the 13th and
14th centuries it acquired judicial functions in fiscal matters as well as
certain penal and civil cases.
The camerlengo of Holy Roman Church (to be distinguished from
the camerlengo of the College of Cardinals) was often a cardinal, but this
became mandatory only in the 15th century. Then – as now – he was assisted by a
vice-camerlengo, a general auditor and chamber clerks, called Cleric Prelates.
Today there is also a notary.
In the early centuries the camerlengo, individual clerks, and
chamber auditor had acquired specific competencies and presided over special
tribunals, though the "camera plena" or full chamber functioned as a
collegial court. Throughout the 19th century the Camera was above all a
tribunal for the pontifical state. With his Apostolic Constitution
"Sapienti Consilio" of 29 June 1908, Pope St. Pius X confirmed the
Apostolic Camera in its functions of temporal power which it had exercised in
the past.
Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution "Regimini Ecclesiae
Universae" of 15 August 1967 preserved the Apostolic Camera, presided over
by the Camerlengo of Holy Roman Church or, if he is impeded, by the
vice-camerlengo. It thus maintains the function of caring for and administering
the temporal goods and rights of the Holy See during the period of Sede
Vacante, that is, between the end of the reign of one Pope and the election of
his successor.
A reconfirmation of these special duties was given in John Paul
II's Apostolic Constitution "Pastor Bonus" of 28 June 1988.
As confirmed by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Constitution
"Universi Dominici Gregis" of February 1996, the camerlengo of Holy
Roman Church and the penitentiary major are the only two heads of curial
offices whose functions do not cease during the Sede Vacante. In fact, those of
the camerlengo actually increase during this period.
The current camerlengo of Holy Roman Church is Cardinal Tarcisio
Pietro Evasio Bertone, S.D.B. The cardinal was born on 2 December 1934 in
Romano Canavese, Piedmont, Italy and was ordained in 1960. He holds a doctorate
in canon law and was the rector of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome
in 1989. He received episcopal ordination as archbishop of Vercelli, Italy in
1991. In 1995 Blessed John Paul II appointed him secretary of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose prefect at the time was Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger. In 2002 he was named metropolitan archbishop of Genoa, Italy and on
21 October 2003 he was created a cardinal. On 22 June 2006, Benedict XVI
appointed him as secretary of State and on 4 April 2007, as camerlengo.
On 1 March 2013, the complete Apostolic Camera met for the
beginning of the period of the Sede Vacante resulting from His Holiness
Benedict XVI's renunciation of the Petrine ministry in effect from 8:00pm the
previous day, 28 February. The Apostolic Camera currently consists of:
Camerlengo Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B.; Vice-camerlengo Archbishop Pier
Luigi Celata; Auditor General Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca; and the College of
Clerics: Msgr. Assunto Scotti; Msgr. Paolo Luca Braida; Msgr. Philip James
Whitmore; Msgr. Winfried Konig; Msgr. Osvaldo Neves de Almeida; Msgr. Krzysztof
Jozef Nykiel; Msgr. Lucio Bonora, and; Msgr. Antonio Lazzaro.
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