About the Vatican
The Catholic Church recognises the Pope, Bishop of Rome and the Apostle Peter's successor as the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity of the bishops and those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
The Roman Curia are appointed by the Pope to assist with the various ministries of the Church and the Apostolic Nuncio is the official representative of the Pope in Australia.
His Holiness Pope Francis
Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ,
Successor of the Prince of the Apostles,
Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy,
Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province,
Sovereign of the State of the City of the Vatican,
Servant of the Servants of God.
The Roman Curia
Secretariat of State
Secretary of State: Cardinal Pietro Parolin
First Section: Section for General Affairs
Substitute: Archbishop Angelo G Becciu
Assessor: Monsignor Paolo Borgia
Second Section: Section for Relations with States
Secretary: Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher
Undersecretary: Monsignor Antoine Camilleri
Congregations
Congregation for Bishops
Prefect: Cardinal Marc Ouellet
Secretary: Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari
Congregation for Catholic Education
Prefect: Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi
Secretary: Archbishop Vincenzo Zani
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Prefect: Cardinal Robert Sarah
Secretary: Archbishop Arthur Roche
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life
Prefect: Cardinal João Bráz de Aviz CM
Secretary: Archbishop José Rodriguez Carballo OFM
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Prefect: Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB
Secretary: Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci
Congregation for the Clergy
Prefect: Cardinal Beniamino Stella
Secretary: Archbishop Joël Mercier
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Prefect: Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller
Secretary: Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria SJ
Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
Prefect: Cardinal Fernando Filoni
Secretary: Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai SDB
Congregation for the Oriental Churches
Prefect: Archbishop Leonardo Sandri
Secretary: Archbishop Cyril Vasil SJ
Tribunals
Apostolic Penitentiary
Major Penitentiary: Cardinal Mauro Piacenza
Regent: Bishop Krzysztof Józef Nykiel
Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature
Prefect: Cardinal Dominique Mamberti
Secretary: Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca
The Roman Rota
Dean: Rev Msgr Pio Vito Pinto
Pontifical Councils
Pontifical Council for Culture
President: Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi
Secretary: Bishop Barthélémy Adoukonou
Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
President: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran
Secretary: Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot MCCJ
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
President: Cardinal Kurt Koch
Secretary: Bishop Brian Farrell LC
Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization
President: Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella
Secretary: Archbishop José Octavio Ruiz Arenas
Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts
President: Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio
Secretary: Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru
Dicasteries
Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life
Prefect: Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
Prefect: Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson
Offices
Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
President: Cardinal Domenico Calcagno
Secretary: Monsignor Mauro Rivella
Apostolic Camera
Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran
Vice-Chamberlain: Archbishop Giampiero Gloder
Council for the Economy
Coordinator: Cardinal Reinhard Marx
Office for the Liturgical Celebration of the Supreme Pontiff
Master of Ceremonies: Monsignor Guido Marini
Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
President: Vacant
Prefecture for the Papal Household
Prefect: Archbishop Georg Gänswein
Secretariat for the Economy
Prefect: Cardinal George Pell
Synod of Bishops
Synod of Bishops
Secretary General: Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri
Undersecretary: Monsignor Fabio Fabene
Institutes Connected with the Holy See
L'Osservatore Romano
Director: Professor Giovanni M Vian
Press Office of the Holy See
Director: To be Advised
Vice-Director: Rev Fr Ciro Benedettini CP
Vatican Radio
Director: To be Advised
Apostolic Nunciature
Established as Apostolic Delegation by His Holiness Pope Pius X by a Decree dated April 15, 1914
Established as Apostolic Nunciature by His Holiness Pope Paul VI by a Decree dated March 5, 1973
Apostolic Nuncio in Australia
His Excellency Most Reverend Adolfo Tito Yllana
Titular Archbishop of Montecorvino
Secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature
Rev Fr Sebastiano Sanna
Predecessors
- B Cerretti, 1914-1917
- B Cattaneo, 1917-1933
- P Bernardini, 1933-1935
- J Panico, 1935-1948
- P Marella, 1948-1953
- R Carboni, 1953-1959
- M de Furstenberg, 1960-1962
- D Enrici, 1962-1969
- G Paro, 1969-1978, Appointed first Apostolic Pro-Nuncio on 3-7-1973
- L Barbarito, 1978-1986
- IF. Brambilla, 1986-1998
- F Canalini, 1999-2004
- A De Paoli, 2005-2007
- G Lazzarotto, 2008–2012
- P Gallagher, 2013–2015
Counsellor to the Apostolic Nunciature
Rev Mgr Luis-Miguel Muñoz Cárdaba
Organisations Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Aid to the Church in Need
A canonical foundation of pontifical right, established by the Holy See governed according to Holy See Statutes. The aim is to promote prayer and giving in favour of activities and initiatives of the Church, particularly those that are pastoral, wherever it is persecuted or faces difficulties in carrying out its mission.
National Director: Mr Bernard Toutounji
PO Box 7246, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153
Unit 11/169 Annangrove Rd, Annangrove NSW 2156
Ph: (02) 9679 1929 Fax: (02) 9679 1929
Email: info@aidtochurch.org
Web: www.aidtochurch.org
Catholic Mission - The Work of the Pontifical Mission Societies
National Office of the Catholic Mission is established by and immediately subject to the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples to coordinate and administer the operation of the four Pontifical Mission Societies in Australia, namely the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St Peter Apostle, the Society of Missionary Childhood and the Pontifical Missionary Union.
National Director: Rev Brian J Lucas
Email: director@catholicmission.org.au
PO Box 1668, North Sydney 2059
19 Mackenzie St, North Sydney 2060
Ph: (02) 9919 7800
Fax: (02) 8904 0185
Email: admin@catholicmission.org.au
Web: www.catholicmission.org.au
For Diocesan Directors and addresses, look in individual Dioceses under Ecclesiastical Organisations.