Apostolic administration

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 has no bishop or archbishop (an apostolic administrator sede vacante, as after an episcopal death, resignation or transfer to another diocese) or, in very rare cases, has an incapacitated bishop (apostolic administrator sede plena). The title also applies to an outgoing bishop while awaiting for the date of assuming his new position.