Roman Curia

The Roman Curia (Latin: Romana Curia) comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See[note 1] and the central body through which the affairs of the Roman Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use of in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office and universal mission in the world: thus curialism refers traditionally to an emphasis on the supreme authority of the Holy See within the Catholic Church.[1] It is at the service of the Pope and bishops, fulfilling their function with an evangelical spirit, working for the good and at the service of communion, unity and edification of the Universal Church and attending to the demands of the world in which the Church is called to fulfill its duty and mission (Praedicate evangelium, article 1).[2]

The structure and organization of responsibilities within the Curia are at present regulated by the apostolic constitution, Praedicate evangelium issued by Pope Francis on 19 March 2022, which was completely enforced on 5 June 2022. It was previously regulated by Pastor bonus issued by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988.[3] With the coming into force of Praedicate evangelium, the Pastor bonus is fully abrogated and replaced, and the reform of the Roman Curia is thus completed.

Other bodies that play an administrative or consulting role in ecclesial affairs are sometimes mistakenly identified with the Curia, such as the Synod of Bishops and regional conferences of bishops. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote in 2015 that "the Synod of Bishops is not a part of the Roman Curia in the strict sense: it is the expression of the collegiality of bishops in communion with the Pope and under his direction. The Roman Curia instead aids the Pope in the exercise of his primacy over all the churches."[4]


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  1. ^ O'Riordan, S, The Third Session, The Furrow, Volume 15, No. 10 (October 1964), p. 622-623, accessed on 8 October 2024
  2. ^ "Costituzione Apostolica "Praedicate evangelium" sulla Curia Romana e il suo servizio alla Chiesa e al Mondo". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  3. ^ The approved English translation of the text is available as a pdf download
  4. ^ Gagliarducci, Andrea (9 February 2015). "What are the theological criteria to reform the Church and the Roman Curia?". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 29 August 2016.