The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (, ) is the legislative body of Vatican City. It consists of a president, who also holds the title of President of the Governorate and deputizes as the head of government of Vatican City, as well as six cardinals appointed by the Pope, the head of state of Vatican City, for five-year terms.
The Pontifical Commission was created in 1939 by Pius XII. Laws and regulations proposed by the Commission must be submitted to the Pope through the Secretariat of State prior to being made public and taking effect. Laws, regulations, and instructions enacted by the Commission are published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
Current members Following the most recent changes on 15 October 2025, the president and the members are: +PositionNameNational originOther positionsPresidentSister Raffaella PetriniItalyPresident of the Governorate of Vatican City StateMembersCardinal Kevin J. FarrellUnited StatesCardinal Claudio GugerottiItalyPrefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern ChurchesCardinal Arthur RocheUKPrefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the SacramentsCardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sikSouth KoreaPrefect of the Dicastery for the ClergyCardinal Blase CupichUnited StatesArchbishop of ChicagoCardinal Baldassare ReinaItalyVicar General of the Diocese of Rome
Governorate of Vatican City State
Administrations and departments of Vatican City's government, including the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, the Vatican Observatory, the Vatican Museums and the Department of Pontifical Villas, which administers Castel Gandolfo, report to the Governorate.
The functions of the Governorate include: Legal office Office for Personnel Office for Civil Records Archives Accounting Office Numismatic and Philatelic office Post and Telegraph office Shipping office Police Department (Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City) Tourist Information Office Department of Museums and Galleries (Vatican Museums) Department of Economic Services Department of Technical Services Vatican Observatory Castel Gandolfo Office for Archaeological Research
President
The president of the Pontifical Commission also serves as the Vatican City State's de facto head of government, as the president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, an office that is distinct from the former title of governor of Vatican City. In addition to their legislative role, the president is delegated executive authority for Vatican City by the Pope. As a senior member of the Roman Curia, the president has usually been a cardinal. 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.
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 of head of state until a new pope is chosen, along with the Cardinal Secretary of State and the Cardinal Camerlengo.
List Image Name Nationality Term Reigning pope(s)1 CardinalNicola Canali(1874–1961) Italy 20 March 1939 – 3 August 1961 2 CardinalAmleto Giovanni Cicognani(1883–1973) Italy 12 August 1961 – 30 April 1969 3 CardinalJean-Marie Villot(1905–1979) France 2 May 1969 – 9 March 1979 4 CardinalAgostino Casaroli(1914–1998) Italy 28 April 1979 – 8 April 1984 John Paul II5 CardinalSebastiano Baggio(1913–1993) Italy 8 April 1984 – 31 October 1990 John Paul II6 CardinalRosalio José Castillo Lara(1922–2007) Venezuela 31 October 1990 – 15 October 1997 John Paul II7 CardinalEdmund Szoka(1927–2014) United States 15 October 1997 – 15 September 2006 8 CardinalGiovanni Lajolo(born 1935) Italy 15 September 2006 – 1 October 2011 Benedict XVI9 CardinalGiuseppe Bertello(born 1942) Italy 1 October 2011 – 1 October 2021 10 CardinalFernando Vérgez Alzaga(born 1945) Spain 1 October 2021 – 1 March 2025 Francis11 SisterRaffaella Petrini(born 1969) Italy 1 March 2025 – present
See also Index of Vatican City–related articles Politics of Vatican City Pontifical commission
Notes
References
External links
Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State – GCatholic.org