Vicar capitular: Encyclopedia - Vicar capitular

Vicar capitular

A vicar capitular is a provisional ordinary of a Roman Catholic diocese. A vicar capitular is elected by the canons of the cathedral chapter when a diocese becomes vacant, perhaps due to the death or resignation of the bishop if there is not a coadjutor bishop for the diocese. The chapter must choose either a bishop (most likely an auxiliary bishop of the diocese) or a priest who is over 35 years of age. Some dioceses do not have a cathedral chapter and instead the senior diocesan priests called "consultors" elect a diocesan administrator who has the same powers as a vicar capitular. If the chapter or the consultors fail to elect a vicar capitular within eight days, the duty falls to the metropolitan bishop (or the senior suffragan bishop of the province if the metropolitan see is vacant) to appoint a vicar capitular. The pope can preempt their decision at any time, and his choice for provisional ordinary is known as an apostolic administrator.

Several of the powers and duties of a bishop are withheld from a vicar capitular, either completely or until the sede vacante period has existed for over a year. Once chosen, the chapter may not remove the vicar from office; he remains until a bishop takes posession of the diocese, he is removed by the Holy See, he resigns from office, or his death.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Vicar capitular", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki