AGENTS AT THE SACRED CONGREGATIONS. - In the past, the procuratori ospedizionieri (forwarding agents) held notable importance, representing individual dioceses or persons at the Roman Curia. Predominantly laymen, they gained a foothold in practically the entire complex organization of the pontifical offices and congregations (especially in those that proceeded to appointments or granted dispensations, graces, privileges, etc.) and constituted a powerful body, very jealous of its secular privileges. With the multiplication of means of communication, the task of these intermediaries became ever less useful, besides giving rise to numerous drawbacks; therefore the Sapienti Consilio (1908) ordered the suppression of the body of Apostolic Forwarding Agents, preserving any rights acquired (ch. VIII), and tolerating for the future the existence of only two types of representatives: 1) occasional agents of private persons, who are required only to be Catholics, of unblemished reputation, and unconnected with the dicastery handling the matter; 2) habitual and recognized agents of bishops or dioceses. The latter must be enrolled in the register of agents, to be kept at the Sacred Congregation of the Council, whose assessor, at his unquestionable judgment, may admit or reject applicants: besides being Catholics and of unblemished reputation, they must have a sufficient knowledge of the Latin language and of canon law; for ecclesiastics the beneplacitum of the vicariate is required, and for religious that of their superior general.
Vittorio Barrocetti