It is fairly typical that the pope can decide to name an administrator himself to a diocese or archdiocese that lacks an ordinary (bishop or archbishop). He then calls as apostolic administrator acting as temporary bishop or archbishop duties and responsibilities-wise, instead of waiting for the college of
consultors to appoint a
diocesan or archdiocesan administrator. Usually, the emeritus bishop or auxillary bishop is appointed in such a case. If the appointed apostolic administrator is a diocesan bishop or archbishop of a diocese or archdiocese, he governs two Catholic territories, which are his own and the vacant one, the latter being temporarily while a successor of a vacant diocese is not yet became a bishop or archbishop of a particular territory. In 2013 and exceptionally, the
Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh had
Philip Tartaglia under that procedure. For example,
Luis Antonio Tagle,
Archbishop of Manila ended his tenure as the archdiocese's archbishop when he became Prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples on 9 February 2020.
Broderick Soncuaco Pabillo,
Auxiliary Bishop of
Manila, was then appointed as apostolic administrator until Cardinal
Jose Advincula became Tagle's successor as archbishop on 24 June 2021.
Ruperto Cruz Santos, the fourth
Bishop of Balanga in
Bataan and
Socrates Buenaventura Villegas's successor from 1 April 2010 to 22 July 2023 and installed into office on 8 July 2010 (4,860 days), ended his tenure as the diocese's bishop when he became fifth
Bishop of Antipolo, with jurisdiction over
Marikina, in
Metro Manila, and the province of
Rizal upon his installation on 22 July 2023 to succeed
Francisco Mendoza de Leon, who retired as bishop at the said date of July 2023.
Florentino Galang Lavarias,
Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga since 27 October 2014, was then appointed as apostolic administrator who served on that position until Santos' successor
Rufino Sescon became fifth bishop on 1 March 2025.
Honesto Flores Ongtioco, the second Bishop of Balanga, from 18 June 1998 to 28 August 2003, succeeded Celso Nogoy Guevarra and
Bishop of Cubao in
Quezon City from 28 August 2003 to 3 December 2024, served the same position at
Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos, which covers the province of
Bulacan and the city of
Valenzuela from 11 May 2018 to 21 August 2019 because of the death of
Jose Francisco Oliveros, who served as its fourth bishop from 5 August 2004 to 11 May 2018.
Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, the
Bishop of Hong Kong, died on 3 January 2019. Cardinal
John Tong Hon, a bishop emeritus, was then appointed as apostolic administrator. The Pope may to appoint an apostolic administrator
sede plena, as a temporary replacement.
Anthony Sablan Apuron, the
Archbishop of Agaña, was under investigation for
sexual abuse in June 2016, and
Pope Francis then appointed
Savio Hon Tai-fai as apostolic administrator
sede plena. On 31 October 2016,
Michael J. Byrnes, Auxiliary Bishop of
Detroit, was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Agaña with full administrative authority and later succeeded as archbishop. == Former apostolic administrations ==