The supreme pontiff, bishop of Rome, has had since ancient times Vicarii in spiritualibus for the diocese of Rome, generally invested with episcopal character as can be deduced from a letter of Pope Innocent III, of June-October 1198, addressed to Octaviano Hostiense Episcopo, Vicario nostro (Ottaviano bishop of Ostia our vicar). The post of vicar of the pope for the spiritual government of the city of Rome was always evolving and could be considered defined, more or less, with the present prerogatives by Pope Paul IV (1555-1559), who in the consistory of November 28, 1558 decreed that the function should always be exercised by a cardinal. Following is the chronological list of the occupants of the post taken from the site of the Vicariate of Rome.

1 - Virgilio Rosari (1558-1559)
2 - Pietro De Pretis, pro-vicar (never promoted to the cardinalate)
3 - Giacomo Savelli (1560-1587)
4 - Sebastiano Portici, pro-vicar (never promoted to the cardinalate)
5 - Giovanni Oliva, pro-vicar (never promoted to the cardinalate)
6 - Michele Bonelli, O.P., pro-vicar
7 - Girolamo Rusticucci (1588-1603)
8 - Camillo Borghese (1603-1605)
9 - Girolamo Pamphili (1605-1610)
10 - Giovanni Garzia Millini (1610-1629)
11 - Marzio Ginetti (1629-1671)
12 - Antonio Barberini, O.F.M.Cap., seniore, pro-vicar (1636-1640)
13 - Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (1671)
14 - Gasparo Carpegna (1671-1714)
15 - Girolamo Casanate, pro-vicar (1682)
16 - Niccolò Caracciolo, pro-vicar (1715-1717)
17 - Giandomenico Paracciani (1717-1721)
18 - Fabrizio Paolucci (1721-1726)
19 - Prospero Marefoschi (1726-1732)
20 - Giovanni Antonio Guadagni, O.C.D. (1732-1759)
21 - Antonio Maria Erba-Odescalchi (1759-1762)
22 - Marcantonio Colonna, iuniore (1762-1793)
23 - Andrea Corsini (1793-1795)
24 - Giulio Maria della Somaglia (1795-1818)
25 - Antonio Despuig y Dameto, pro-vicar (1810-1813)
26 - Lorenzo Litta (1818-1820)
27 - Annibale della Genga (1820-1823)
28 - Giuseppe della Porta Rodiani, pro-vicar (1823-1824)
29 - Giacinto Placido Zurla, O.S.B.Cam. (1824-1834)
30 - Carlo Odescalchi (1834-1838)
31 - Giuseppe della Porta Rodiani (1838-1841)
32 - Costantino Patrizi Naro (1841-1876)
33 - Raffaele Monaco La Valletta (1876-1884)
34 - Lucido Maria Parocchi (1884-1899)
35 - Domenico Maria Jacobini (1899-1900)
36 - Pietro Respighi (1900-1913)
37 - Basilio Pompilj (1913-1931)
38 - Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1931-1951)
39 - Clemente Micara (1951-1965)
40 - Luigi Traglia (1965-1968)
41 - Angelo Dell'Acqua, O.Ss.C.A. (1968-1972)
42 - Ugo Poletti (1972-1991)
43 - Camillo Ruini, pro-vicar (January 17, 1991) - vicar (July 1, 1991-June 27, 2008)
44. Agostino Vallini (June 27, 2008-

©1998-2008 Salvador Miranda.