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Canon law of the Catholic Church |
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An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic administration), or is a diocese, archdiocese, eparchy or similar permanent ordinariate (such as a territorial prelature or a territorial abbacy) that either has no bishop or archbishop (an apostolic administrator sede vacante, as after an episcopal death, resignation or transfer to other (arch)diocese) or, in very rare cases, has an incapacitated (arch)bishop (apostolic administrator sede plena). The title also applies to an outgoing (arch)bishop while awaiting for the date of assuming his new position.