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The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Secretariat of State, which is the most important dicastery of the Roman Curia. He can be regarded as being in charge of the political and diplomatic activities of the Holy See. Since Vatican City is administered by the Holy See, the Cardinal Secretary of State is also referred to as being the Vatican's "prime minister".
The current Cardinal Secretary of State is Angelo Cardinal Sodano (since 1991).
Cardinal Secretaries of State
- Pietro Cardinal Gasparri (1929–1930)
- Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli (1930–1939)
- Luigi Cardinal Maglione (1939–1944)
- Domenico Cardinal Tardini (1952–1961)
- Amleto Giovanni Cardinal Cicognani (1961–1969)
- Jean-Marie Cardinal Villot (1969–1979)
- Agostino Cardinal Casaroli (1979–1990)
- Angelo Cardinal Sodano (1991–present)
- There was no Secretary of State from 1944 to 1952.
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