History of the Roman Curia

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    The history of the Roman Curia, the administrative apparatus responsible for managing the affairs of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, can be traced to the 11th century when informal methods of administration began to take on a more organized structure and eventually a bureaucratic form. The Curia has undergone a series of renewals and reforms, including a major overhaul following the loss of the Papal States, which fundamentally altered the range and nature of the Curia's responsibilities, removing many of an entirely secular nature.

    Historical origins

    Like every bishop, the pope was surrounded by a college of priests.

    Urban II. He set up the modern-day Roman Curia in the manner of a royal ecclesiastical court to help run the Church.[2]
    Meetings were held three times a week under Pope Innocent III.[3]

    Outside the presbyteries, which dealt with general topics, the pope set up specialized committees of

    Cardinals
    on particular topics. These commissions, first in temporary mandate, became more and more important and stable. Gradually, consistories lost their effectiveness and started to look like meetings apparatus. The real work was done within the congregations.

    The first congregation, the Holy Office did not begin its existence as a congregation until 1558, in the reign of Pope Paul IV.[4] Then other congregations were created on this model: one after the Council for the Interpretation of the Decrees of the Council of Trent in 1561, and one for the Index in 1571.

    After the

    Immensa Aeterni Dei which established as standard practice the organization of groups of cardinal as standing committees to examine or review defined categories problems. Some of these congregations were created to assist in the administration of the Papal States
    rather than those of the Holy See or the Church.

    Sixtus V

    The congregations established by Sixtus V were:

    for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, for equipping and maintaining the fleet for the defence of the Church's dominions, for an index of forbidden books, for the execution and interpretation of the Council of Trent, for relieving the ills of the States of the Church, for the University of the Rome, for regulating of religious orders, for regulating bishops and other prelates, for taking care of roads, bridges, and waters, for the Vatican printing-press, and for regulating the affairs of the Church's temporal dominions. The Constitution also created the Congregation of Rites
    , which at that time included jurisdiction over Causes of the Saints.

    Pius X

    There was another general reorganization in 1908 under Pope Pius X, which reflected the focus on ecclesiastical matters alone following the loss of the Papal States.[5]

    While the Pope was sovereign of that region, the Curia had both religious and civil functions. The latter were lost when the

    Vatican City State was created. The Curia has continued to devote itself exclusively to ecclesiastical affairs, and a distinct body
    , not considered part of the Curia, was established for the governance of the minuscule state.

    Modern era

    The

    Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
    . Others again were simply given a new name.

    Congregation for the Clergy to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.[10]

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Del Re, Niccolò (1998). La Curia Romana: Lineamenti Storico-Giuridici (4th ed.). Rome: Libreria editrice vaticana. p. 21.
    2. ISBN 9780060653040
    3. ^ Del Re 1998, p. 26.
    4. ^ a b Catholic Encyclopedia, Roman Congregations
    5. ^ Murphy, Joseph J. (October 1914). "Pius X and the Cardinalate". The Ecclesiastical Review. LI. Philadelphia: The Dolphin Press: 445.
    6. ISBN 978-0-86012-092-6
      .
    7. ^ Pope Paul VI. "Regimini Ecclesiae universae", 15 August 1967, Libreria Editrice Vaticana
    8. ^ Allen Jr., John L. (30 May 2006). "Council for Interreligious Dialogue to be restored, Vatican says". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
    9. ^ "Pope appoints Archbishop Fisichella to lead Council for New Evangelization". Catholic News Agency. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
    10. ^ "Pope transfers responsibility for catechesis, seminaries". Catholic News Agency. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2016.

    External links

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