APOSTLESHIP
G33
APOSTOLIC
Apostleship of Prayer, The, a pious association
otherwise known as a league of prayer in union with
the Heart of Jesus. It was fouiided at Vals, France, in
1844 by Francis X. Gautrelot. It owes its popuhirily
largely to tlie Uevcrend Henrj- Kaiiii6re, S.J., who,
in 1861, adapted its organization for parishes and
various Catliolic institutions, and made it known by
his book "The A]X).stleship of Prayer", which has
been translated into many languages. In 1.S79 the
association received its first statutes, apiiroved l)y
Pius IX, and in 1S9G these were revised and approved
by Leo XIII. These statutes set forth the nature,
the constitution, and the organization of the .-Vpostle-
ship, as follows: Its object is to promote the practice
of prayer for tlio mutual intentions of the members,
in union with the intercession of Christ in heaven.
There are three practices which constitute three
degrees of membership. The first consists of a
daily olTering of one's prayers, good works, and
sufferings, the second, of daily recitation of a decade
of beads for the special intentions of the Holy Father
reconunended to the members every month, and the
third, of the reception of Holy Communion with the
motive of reparation, monthly or weekly, on days
assigned. The memlx>rs are also urged to observe
the practice of the Holy Hour, spent in meditation
on the Passion. The moderator general of the
association is the General of the Society of Jesus,
who usually deputes his power to an assistant. At
present the Reverend A. Drive, S.J.. editor of the
"Messenger of the Sacred Heart", is the deputy.
He controls the organization by the aid of the editors
of the " Messenger of the Sacred Heart", in different
parts of the world. At present they number thirty.
In each country diocesan directors are appointed
who attend to the aggregation of new centres of the
League and promote its interests in their respective
territories. A centre may he a parish, a pious
society, a religious community, a college, academy,
school, or any religioius or cliaritable institution.
The priest, usually the pastor or chaplain, in charge
of a centre is known as the Local Director. In order
to organize a centre, he appoints promoters, usually
one for every ten or fifteen members, who with him
hold special meetings, canvass for new members,
and circulate the mystery leaflets containing the
monthly practices for the members. To erect a
centre it is necessary to obtain a diploma of aggre-
gation which the dej)uty moderator issues through
the editors of the ".Messengers of the Sacred Heart"
in their respective countries. To be a member it
is sufficient to have one's name inscribed in the
register of some local centre. There are now over
62,.500 local centres in various parts of the world,
about 6,1)8.5 of which are in the I'nited States, 1,S'X)
in Canada, 1,000 in England, 2,000 in Ireland, 200
in Scotland, and 400 in .■Vastralia. The Association
numbers over 2.5,000,000 members, about 4,000,(X)0
of whom are in the United States. In schools and
academies it is usually conducted in a fonn suitable
for the pupils, known as the pope's militia. The
members are entitled to many mdulgences.
Berinoer, Let Indulgence; II. 197 (Paris. 190.i); Handbook of the ApoHtleship of Prayer (New York): Acta Sancltr Sedis circa piam faderationem Apo8tota4ut Orationis (Toulouse, 1SS8).
John J. Wynne. Apostolic. See ApasTouaTv; Church, Masks
OF THE.
Apostolic Oamera. — The former central board of finance in the papal administrative system, which at one time w.is of great importance in the government of the States of the Church, and in the administra- tion of justice. The Camera A}x>stoUca consists to- day of the cardinal-camerlengo, the vice-camerlengo, the auditor, the general tre;usurer (an office unoccu- pied since 18701 and seven cameral clerics. Since the States of the Church have ceased to exist, and the
income of the papal treasury is chiefly derived frorc
Peter's-pencc and other alms contributed by the
faithful, the Camera has no longer any practical im-
portance as a board of finance, for the revenue
known as Peter'.s-pence is managed by a special com-
mission. The officials who now constitute the c:ini-
cra hold in reality quiusi-honorarj' offices. The Car-
dinal-Camerlengo enters upon his chief duties on the
occasion of a vacancy in the Holy See, during which
time he is invested with a portion of the papal au-
thority. The Vice-Camcrlengo, one of the highest
prelates of the Roman Curia, was until 1870 governor
of Rome, and was charged with the maintenance of
peace and order in the city; during a vacancy in
the Papal See he is even yet first in authority after
the cardinals, and entrusted with the surveillance of
the conclave, to which no one is admitted without
his permi-ssion. The .\uditor-General of the Camera,
also one of the highest prelates, was formerly the
chief judge in all c;uses concerning the financial
ailministration of the Curia. Before 1870 he pre-
sided over the supremo court, to which the I ope
referred the most important questions for decision.
The Treasurer-General formerly had supreme finan-
cial control of the whole income derived from (he
temporal possessions of the Church, as well as the
rest of the tribute accruing to the papal treasury.
The College of Clerics of the Apostolic Camera con-
sists now of seven members, though formerly the
number was variable. The members of the body,
who even to-day are chosen from among the higli-
est prelates, had formerly not only the management
of the property and income of the Holy See, and
were consulted collectively on all important ques-
tions concerning their .idministration, but also of-
ficiated as a court in all disputes alTecting the papal
exchequer. When Pius I. \. after the installation of
the various ministries, divided among them the ad-
ministrative duties, he assigned to each cleric of the
Camera the presidency of a section of the depart-
ment of finance. Four of them, moreover, were
members of the commission appointed to examine
the accounts of the Camera. I hey are entitled to
special places whenever the Pope appears in public
on solemn occasions, in the papal processions, and
in public consistories. At the death of the PontitT
they take possession of the .Vpostolic palaces, attend
to the taking of the inventories, and manage the
internal or ilomestic administration during the va-
cancy. In the conclave they have charge of all that
pertains to the table of the cardinals. Apart from
this, the clerics of the Camera are now usually pro-
fessors and canons, with regular ecclesiastical appoint-
ments.
Although the Apostolic Camera and the prelates forming it have lost the greater part of their original authority, tliis body was formerly one of the most important in the Curia. The character and method of their administration have undergone much mod- ification in the past, being affected naturally by general economical development, and by the vicis- situdes of the States of the Church and the central curi.al administration. Suice the middle of the twelfth century we find a papal chamberlain (cam- erarius domini papa-) as a regular member of the Curia, entrusted with the financial management of the papal court. At that early perioil the income of the papal treasury came chiefly from many kinds of census, dues, and tributes paid in from the territory subject to the Pope, and from churches and monasteries immediately dependent on him. Cencius Camerarius (later Pope Honorius III, 12I(>- 27) made in 1 192 a new inventory of all these sources of papal revenue, known as the "Liber Censuum". The previous list dated back to Gelasius I (492—196) and Gregory I (590-<i()4). and was basctl on lists of the incomes accruing from the patrimonies, or
