| a representative of the pope in a country that has no regular diplomatic relations with the Vatican. |
| apostolic delegate n. Roman Catholic Church An ecclesiastical representative of the Vatican to a country having no formal diplomatic relations with it. |
apostolic delegate
Vatican representative with no diplomatic status and hence no power to deal with civil governments. His relations are with the ecclesiastical hierarchy of a country that maintains no diplomatic relations with the Holy See. An apostolic delegate may not interfere with the exercise of the local bishops' authority in their own jurisdictions. He concerns himself with church conditions in a region, gathering and channeling all relevant information to and from the Holy See
Learn more about apostolic delegate with a free trial on Britannica.com.
