camerlengo

noun

1. The cardinal who administers the Roman Catholic Church in the interregnum between Popes.

   Benedict will also stop using the so-called fisherman’s ring to seal documents. It will be destroyed by the cardinal camerlengo, the acting head of state of Vatican City during the “sede vacante,” the canon law term used when the papacy is vacant.

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Italian camerlengo (“chamberlain”). Doublet of chamberlain.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry camerlengo (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← cambucacamisado →

Another random word More words starting with C