ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE HOLY SEE. — After 20 Sept. 1870, the patrimony of the Holy See was reduced almost exclusively to the offerings with which the piety of the faithful from every part of the world sought to assist the needs of the Holy See.
Since the pre-existing administrative organization, which was centered chiefly in the Rev. Apostolic Camera, seemed both excessive and impossible to maintain, the Supreme Pontiff LEO XIII, by a chirograph of 9 Aug. 1878, appointed his Secretary of State, Cardinal Nina, Prefect of the Sacred Apostolic Palaces and Administrator of the property of the Holy See.
Later, when it became expedient to separate the administration of the actual patrimony of the Holy See from that of the movable and immovable goods forming the Apostolic Palaces and their dependencies, the Supreme Pontiff, by a motu proprio entitled *Le disastrose condizioni* of 11 Dec. 1880, divided the two offices, entrusting the administration of the patrimony of the Holy See to a Cardinal Administrator, assisted by a cardinal commission with advisory functions. By another motu proprio of the same date, entitled *Le presenti luttuose circostanze*, the Cardinal Prefect of the Sacred Apostolic Palaces was then assigned the administration of the property belonging to the “Sovereign House of the Supreme Pontiff,” in addition to the supervision of all court services, all works to be executed in the buildings under his administration, and the discipline of persons residing in pontifical properties.
By a motu proprio of 23 May 1882 and of 30 Apr. 1891, various further norms were established regarding the organization and functioning of the cardinal commission for the administration of the property of the Holy See, among other things enlarging its competences and making the Cardinal Secretary of State its ex officio president.
Finally, by a motu proprio of 16 Dec. 1926, the Supreme Pontiff PIUS XI further expanded the functions of this commission, uniting within its offices the administrative offices of the Prefecture of the Sacred Apostolic Palaces and the section of the Ecclesiastical Dicasteries.