Editing Holy See (section)

== Organization ==
{{Catholic Church sidebar| Organisation}}
{{main|Roman Curia}}

The Holy See is one of the last remaining seven [[Absolute monarchy|absolute monarchies]] in the world, along with [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Eswatini]], [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Qatar]], [[Brunei]] and [[Oman]].<ref name="factbook">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/holy-see-vatican-city/ |title=CIA's factbook Vatican State |date=16 February 2022 |access-date=25 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126204237/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/holy-see-vatican-city/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/stato-e-governo.html |title=State and Government |website=www.vaticanstate.va |access-date=1 April 2018 |archive-date=31 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331104125/http://www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/stato-e-governo.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://storiesofworld.com/people-seven-nations-live-absolute-monarchy-click-know-nations/ |title=These 7 nations are ruled by an absolute monarchy! |date=22 December 2015 |work=Stories of World|access-date=1 April 2018 |language=en-US|archive-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402101211/https://storiesofworld.com/people-seven-nations-live-absolute-monarchy-click-know-nations/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Pope governs the Catholic Church through the [[Roman Curia]]. The Curia is a complex of offices that administer church affairs at the highest level, including the [[Secretariat of State (Vatican)|Secretariat of State]], nine [[Congregation (Roman Curia)|Congregations]], three [[Ecclesiastical court|Tribunals]], eleven Pontifical Councils, and seven Pontifical Commissions.

The Secretariat of State, under the [[Cardinal Secretary of State]], directs and coordinates the Curia. The incumbent, Cardinal Pietro Parolin,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://attualita.vatican.va/sala-stampa/bollettino/2013/08/31/news/31610.html |title=Dichiarazione Di S.E. Mons. Pietro Parolin in Occasione della sua Nomina a Segretario di Stato |access-date=28 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922060821/http://attualita.vatican.va/sala-stampa/bollettino/2013/08/31/news/31610.html |archive-date=22 September 2013}}</ref> is the See's equivalent of a prime minister. [[Archbishop]] [[Paul Gallagher (bishop)|Paul Gallagher]], Secretary of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State, acts as the Holy See's [[minister of foreign affairs]]. Parolin was named in his role by Pope Francis on 31 August 2013.

[[File:Vatican City map EN.svg|thumb|[[Vatican City]], the Holy See's sovereign territory]]
The Secretariat of State is the only body of the Curia that is situated within Vatican City. The others are in buildings in different parts of Rome that have extraterritorial rights similar to those of embassies.

Among the most active of the major Curial institutions are the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]], which oversees the Catholic Church's doctrine; the [[Congregation for Bishops]], which coordinates the appointment of bishops worldwide; the [[Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples]], which oversees all missionary activities; and the [[Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace]], which deals with international peace and social issues.

Three tribunals exercise judicial power. The [[Roman Rota]] handles normal judicial appeals, the most numerous being those that concern alleged nullity of marriage.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P5G.HTM Code of Canon Law, canons 1443–1444] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108061657/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P5G.HTM |date=8 January 2010 }}. The Holy See. Retrieved 11 September 2011.</ref> The [[Apostolic Signatura]] is the supreme appellate and administrative court concerning decisions even of the [[Roman Rota]] and administrative decisions of ecclesiastical superiors (bishops and superiors of [[religious institute]]s), such as closing a parish or removing someone from office. It also oversees the work of other ecclesiastical tribunals at all levels.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P5G.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 1445] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108061657/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P5G.HTM |date=8 January 2010 }}. The Holy See. Retrieved 11 September 2011.</ref>

The [[Apostolic Penitentiary]] deals with matters of conscience, granting absolutions from [[censure#Canon law|censures]], dispensations, commutations, validations, condonations, and other favors. It also grants [[indulgences]].<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19880628_pastor-bonus-roman-curia_en.html ''Pastor bonus'', articles 117–120] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010223175311/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19880628_pastor-bonus-roman-curia_en.html |date=23 February 2001 }}. The Vatican. (28 June 1988). Retrieved 11 September 2011.</ref>

The [[Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See]] coordinates the finances of the Holy See departments and supervises the administration of all offices, whatever be their degree of autonomy, that manage these finances. The most important of these is the [[Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See]].

The [[Prefecture of the Papal Household]] is responsible for the organization of the papal household, audiences, and ceremonies, apart from the strictly [[Catholic liturgy|liturgical]] part.

Pope Francis reorganized the Curia to prioritize its role in the church's mission to evangelize. This reform insisted that the Curia is not meant to be a centralized bureaucracy, but a service for the Pope and diocesan bishops that is in communication with local bishops' conferences.&nbsp;Likewise more lay people are to be involved in the workings of the dicasteries and in giving them input.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pogorelc |first=Anthony |title=Vatican |publisher=SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion. |year=2020 |location=Print}}</ref>

The Holy See does not dissolve upon a pope's death or resignation. It instead operates under a different set of laws ''[[sede vacante]]''. During this [[interregnum]], the heads of the dicasteries of the Curia, such as the prefects of congregations, cease immediately to hold office. The only exceptions are the [[Major Penitentiary]], who continues his important role regarding absolutions and dispensations, and the [[Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church]], who administers the [[temporalities]] (''i.e.'', properties and finances) of the See of St. Peter during this period. The government of the See, and therefore of the Catholic Church, then falls to the [[College of Cardinals]]. [[Canon law (Catholic Church)|Canon law]] prohibits the [[College of Cardinals|College]] and the Camerlengo from introducing any innovations or novelties in the government of the church during this period.

In 2001, the Holy See had a revenue of 422.098&nbsp;billion [[Italian lire]], about US$202&nbsp;million at the time, and a net income of 17.720&nbsp;billion Italian lire, about US$8&nbsp;million.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080828074951/http://www.zenit.org/article-1900?l=english "Economic Report of the Holy See for 2000"] Zenit 6 July 2001</ref> According to an article by David Leigh in the ''Guardian'' newspaper, a 2012 report from the Council of Europe identified the value of a section of the Vatican's property assets as an amount in excess of €680m (£570m). In January 2013, Paolo Mennini, a papal official in Rome, managed this portion of the Holy See's assets—consisting of British investments, other European holdings and a currency trading arm. The ''Guardian'' newspaper described Mennini and his role in the following manner: "...&nbsp;Paolo Mennini, who is in effect the Pope's [[merchant bank]]er. Mennini heads a special unit inside the Vatican called the extraordinary division of APSA – ''Amministrazione del Patrimonio della Sede Apostolica'' – which handles the 'patrimony of the Holy See'."<ref>{{cite news |title=How the Vatican built a secret property empire using Mussolini's millions |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/21/vatican-secret-property-empire-mussolini |access-date=23 January 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=21 January 2013 |author=David Leigh |archive-date=2 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202103311/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/21/vatican-secret-property-empire-mussolini |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See]] are conferred by the Pope as temporal sovereign and ''[[fons honorum]]'' of the Holy See, similar to the orders awarded by other [[heads of state]].