Annuario Pontificio

The Annuario Pontificio (Italian for Pontifical Yearbook) is the yearly directory of the Holy See of the Catholic Church. It lists the popes in chronological order and all officials of the Holy See's departments. It also includes the names and contact details for all cardinals and bishops, information about dioceses, and details about the Roman Curia.

The yearbook also covers the Holy See's diplomatic missions abroad, embassies accredited to the Holy See, and the headquarters of religious institutes. It contains statistics and other important data about these groups. The book also lists priests who have been given the title of "Monsignor".

Published each year by the Central Office of Church Statistics and the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Annuario Pontificio is mostly in Italian. The 2015 edition had over 2,400 pages and cost €78. According to the 2022 edition, the number of Catholics worldwide reached 1,359,612,000 by the end of 2020.

History

A yearbook of the Catholic Church was published from 1716 to 1859 by a printing firm in Rome. In 1860, the Holy See began producing its own yearbook called the Annuario Pontificio.

The Vatican Press took over the yearbook in 1885, and from 1912 to 1924, it included notes about the departments of the Roman Curia and certain posts within the papal court. A similar yearbook was also made in French by a publishing house in Paris, which included extra details about places like the Papal Palace.

List of popes

See also: List of popes

The Annuario Pontificio gives the Catholic Church's list of popes. As each new pope reviews history, the list can change. For example, in 1942, the Annuario Pontificio included decisions from the Council of Pisa (1409), listing three popes from that time: Gregory XII (1406–1409), Alexander V (1409–1410), and John XXIII (1410–1415). Later, during the Western Schism, Pope John XXIII (1958–1963) decided to reuse the name John XXIII, saying there were twenty-two Johns before him who were definitely popes. This change was shown in the 1963 Annuario Pontificio, which listed Alexander V and the first John XXIII as not true popes.

Statistical data

The Annuario Pontificio helps churches gather important information about their members. It shares details about each area, such as how many people live there and how many belong to the church. This information comes from local church leaders and shows what the situation was like at the end of the previous year.

The yearbook includes many facts, like the size of the area, the number of churches, and how many people work for the church. It also tracks important events, such as baptisms and new priests, to help understand how the church is growing and serving its members.

Release details

The Annuario Pontificio per l'anno is published each year by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana in Vatican City. The 2021 edition has the ISBN number 9788826605999.