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Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, the Holy See announced on Wednesday.
The appointment was confirmed in a communiqué issued on 15 October, naming Cardinal Cupich among the members of the commission that serves as the legislative body of the Vatican City State.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, was also appointed to the body. The Pope at the same time renewed the mandates of several existing members, including Cardinals Kevin Farrell, Arthur Roche, Lazarus You Heung-sik, and Claudio Gugerotti, all prefects of major Vatican dicasteries. The membership of Cardinals Leonardo Sandri and Mauro Gambetti, however, was not extended for the new term.
The commission is presided over by Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, who earlier this year became the first woman to hold that position. She also serves as Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City, making her one of the most senior women in the Holy See’s administration.
The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is responsible for the civil governance of the world’s smallest sovereign entity. Its remit includes public order, health and safety, environmental management, economic oversight, and the administration of the Vatican Museums and their cultural patrimony. While the commission can draft and approve laws for the city-state, these must be formally ratified by the Pope before they come into effect.
Cardinal Cupich’s appointment comes less than a month after he drew attention in the United States when several bishops criticised his decision to honour Senator Richard Durbin with a lifetime achievement award. His new role in the Vatican’s governing structure will place him in closer proximity to the daily operations of the Holy See and the decisions that shape its administration.
The commission in its modern form dates back to reforms introduced by Pope Pius XII in 1939, though its origins lie in the early administrative arrangements following the creation of Vatican City under the Lateran Treaty of 1929.
Through successive pontificates, the body has been central to managing the day-to-day affairs of the state and maintaining the independence of the papal enclave. The confirmation of its membership marks another quiet but significant step in the steady evolution of Vatican governance under Pope Leo XIV.
(Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
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