Cardinal Secretary of State

Secretary of State of His Holiness
Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae
Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità
Incumbent
vacant
since 21 April 2025
Secretariat of State
StyleHis Eminence
Member ofRoman Curia
Council of Cardinals
Reports tothe Pope
Appointerthe Pope
Term lengthNo term length
Formation20 November 1551
First holderGirolamo Dandini
Unofficial namesCardinal Secretary of State

The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae, Italian: Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia.[1] The Secretariat of State performs all the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See and the Vatican City State. The secretary of state is sometimes described as the prime minister of the Holy See,[2] even though the nominal head of government of Vatican City is the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin was the secretary of state from 2013[3] till 21 April 2025.

  1. ^ "Profile: The Secretariat of State". The Holy See. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  2. ^ "The Vatican's secretary of state visits Moscow for the first time in 19 years". The Economist. 25 August 2017. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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