Roman Curia

The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Roman Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. It is generally considered as representing the government of the Church.

Structure

The following organs or charges, according to the official website of the Holy See (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/), compose the Curia:

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• The Secretariat of State (Secretaria Apostolica ) - created in the 15th century, it is the dicastery of the closest assistants of the Pope http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/documents/rc_seg-st_12101998_profile_en.html. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State.
• Section for General Affairs
• Section for Relations with States
• The Congregations http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/index.htm -
• the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (once the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition, later Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office) (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_pro_14071997_en.html),
• The Congregation for the Oriental Churches http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/orientchurch/index.htm (once the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide pro negotiis ritus orientalis)
• The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/index.htm
• The Congregation for the Causes of Saints http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/csaints/documents/rc_con_csaints_pro_20051996_en.html
• The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cevang/index.htm (better known as the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide)
• The Congregation for the Clergy http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_cclergy_pro_31051999_en.html (originated in the wake of the Council of Trent as Sacra Congregatio Cardinalium Concilii Tridentini Interpretum)
• The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_profile_en.html
• The Congregation for Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions) http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_20051996_profile_en.html (born as Congregatio pro universitate studii romani, then Congregatio de Seminariis et Studiorum Universitatibus)
• The Congregation for Bishops (Congregatio pro Episcopis)
• The Tribunals
• The Apostolic Penitentiary
• The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
• The Sacra Rota Romana
• The Pontifical Councilshttp://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/index.htm
• The Pontifical Council for the Laity
• The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
• The Pontifical Council for the Family
• The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
• The Pontifical Council Cour Unum
• The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants
• The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers
• The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
• The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
• The Pontifical Council for Culture
• The Pontifical Council for Social Communications
• The Synod of Bishops
• The Offices
• The Apostolic Chamber
• The Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See
• The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
• The Prefecture for the Pontifical Household
• The Office of the Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations
• The Pontifical Commissions http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/index.htm
• The Pontifical Commission for the cultural heritage of the Church
• The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology
• The Pontifical Biblical Commission
• The Pontifical Commission for revision of the Vulgata
• The International Theological Commission
• The Pontifical Commission for International Eucharistic Congresses
• The Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences
• The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
• The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
• The Pontifical Commission for Latin America
• The Discipline Commission of the Roman Curia
• The Swiss Guard http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/foto4_b.htm http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/photogall.htm
• The Pontifical Academies http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/index.htm
• The Labour office http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/labour_office/index.htm
• Other institutions http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/index.htm

It should be noted that it is normal for every Roman Catholic diocese to have a curia in its administration. For the Diocese of Rome, these functions are not handled by the Roman Curia, but by the Vicariate General of His Holiness for the City of Rome, as provided by the Apostolic Constitution Ecclesia in Urbe. The Vicar General, traditionally a Cardinal, and the Vicegerent, who holds the personal title of Archbishop, supervise the governance of the diocese with occasional reference to the Pope himself, but no responsibility to the Roman Curia as such.

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