The
departments and offices that are included in the Archdiocesan Catholic Center are identified on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles website.
Listed and discussed below are the selected offices that the archbishop
has designated as responsible for particular matters related to clergy, men and women religious, or the faithful.
Office of the Vicar for Clergy
The Office of the Vicar for Clergy
has overall responsibility for pastoral and administrative matters
related to clergy (both priests and deacons) in the archdiocese. Its
role is to promote the spiritual and physical well-being and facilitate
the ministerial life of all priests and deacons present in the
archdiocese, particularly those who are incardinated in the archdiocese,
whether active, or with a non-ministerial assignment, such as medical leave,.The vicar
for clergy and associate vicar for clergy are designated for specified
terms by the archbishop after a nomination and vetting process
in which the presbyterate of the archdiocese participates.
The
office works to assure suitable ministerial assignments for all clergy
serving in the archdiocese, particularly through coordinating the work of
the Priest Personnel Board of the archdiocese and by assisting the archbishop
in assuring that the diverse spiritual, ethnic, and ministerial needs of
the faithful in the archdiocese are integrated and respected as
ministerial assignments and decisions are made.
In the last 70
years, the archdiocese has grown to millions of faithful. This growth, as well as the
diversity of cultures, languages, and ministerial needs present in the
archdiocese, means that priests from other dioceses and cultures, both
foreign and domestic, and members of religious orders make an important
contribution in filling the ministerial needs of the archdiocese. The
Office of the Vicar for Clergy screens and coordinates requests and
applications from those who wish to minister in the archdiocese, whether
for a short period or several years.
The Office of the Vicar for
Clergy also provides for the continuing formation of priests and
deacons and intervenes and addresses with other designated parties those
situations where a priest or deacon has become ill or incapacitated or
has failed to fulfill his ministerial duties or priestly and canonical
obligations, including situations involving personal, sexual, financial,
or other misconduct.
Office of the Judicial Vicar and the Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal
The Metropolitan Marriage Tribunal is headed by the Judicial Vicar. This office is an extension of the archbishop's judicial ministry to the people of the archdiocese with regards to marriage matters. This office is staffed by priests, deacons, religious and lay persons trained in canon law, and appointed by the archbishop as judges, defenders of the bond, auditors or notaries.
The ministry of the Marriage Tribunal is part of the Church's effort to offer healing and hope to the parties of failed marriages. For some time, the office has trained pastors/administrators and their designees in parishes to assist petitioners in understanding the process and documentation. Individuals who have divorced civilly are required to first consult with a designated person at their local parish concerning the process of submitting a petition and to gain an understanding of the nullity process in the archdiocese.
The Marriage Tribunal then uses the completed petition, testimonies and pertinent documents to investigate these situations to determine whether the parties may be free to remarry. The Marriage Tribunal's first and primary goal is to minister to and protect the rights of both parties throughout the process and to clarify their marital status within the Church, whether or not they are considering remarriage.
A declaration of nullity may be granted only if it can be shown through a formal inquiry that an essential element of marriage as understood by the Church was lacking at the time of consent. If nullity is declared, both parties would be free to enter into marriage in the Church, if they choose to do so. This declaration does not deny that a real relationship existed, nor does it imply that the relationship was entered with ill will or moral fault. It does not seek to place blame or establish a guilty party. A declaration of nullity does not affect the legitimacy of any children resulting from the relationship. In the United States, a declaration of nullity has no consequences in civil law.
In addition, the Marriage Tribunal provides canonical advice, research, and permissions involved in marriage preparation and any dispensations or procedures needed before a marriage may occur. The dispensations and other canonical procedures are initiated through the local pastor/administrator or his designee. The local pastors and other parish ministers determine the character of the request and the manner in which the application should be pursued and submitted to the Marriage Tribunal. When in doubt, they are encouraged to consult the Marriage Tribunal.
Office of the Vicar for Canonical Services
The Office of the Vicar for Canonical Services is headed by the Vicar for Canonical Services. It assists and advises the archbishop on matters of canonical analysis or review; provides advice on the application of canon law in the administration of the archdiocese, the parishes, and the other patrimony of the archdiocese; and advises on matters related to religious life or institutions that are located within the archdiocese. It provides advice to the archbishop concerning the status of hospitals, colleges, and other Catholic institutions present in the archdiocese. The Office also advises the archbishop on procedures that involve clergy discipline and priests who may be seeking to depart the clerical state or other changes in their status (including removal from active ministry). The Office has certain roles with respect to clergy under the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Office of the Vicar for Religious
The Office of the Vicar for Women Religious serves all women religious and consecrated women working and living in the archdiocese in all matters directly related to the local church, including ministry, housing, and other issues. The Vicar for Women Religious
is the liaison between the archbishop and the communities of women religious and
consecrated women in the archdiocese and officially represents them.
Approximately 115 different orders of women religious and consecrated
women are represented in the archdiocese. They make important service and
leadership contributions to the educational, ministerial, sacramental,
evangelization, social service, and health efforts for the faithful of
all ages and nationalities represented in the archdiocese.
Each community must be recognized by the archbishop and invited to live and minister in the archdiocese. The office is
responsible for communicating with the communities that seek permission
to come to the archdiocese to minister and the office responds to their application
on behalf of the archbishop. If the communities are granted permission,
which is discretionary, the office assists in their arrival.
Communities
present in the archdiocese are required to be listed
in The Official Catholic Directory of the USCCB, and, if qualified, they
may seek approval as a tax-exempt and charitable entity in the United
States either directly under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code or
as a participant in the USCCB Group Ruling. Both require detailed
submissions and approvals. The Office of the Vicar for Women Religious should be consulted for information and references concerning this
process (see the Procedures for Religious Congregations Newly Entering the Archdiocese of Los Angeles).
Office of the Director of Ministerial Services
The Director of Ministerial Services is responsible for coordinating all ministerial services in the archdiocese. The director advises the archbishop and convenes the responsible people from the different offices under his direction to discuss areas of mutual concern, to collaborate and support their various ministries as they serve the people of the archdiocese, and to consult on matters referred to the director for ministerial formation of the group by the archbishop.
6-9-2026