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{{Short description|Type of department of the Catholic Church's Curia}}

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In the [[Roman Curia]] of the [[Catholic Church]], a '''congregation''' ({{langx|la|Sacræ Cardinalium Congregationes}}) was a type of department. They were second-highest-ranking departments, ranking below the two Secretariats, and above the pontifical councils, [[Pontifical Commission|pontifical commissions]], tribunals and offices.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/index.htm|title=The Roman Curia - Index |website=www.vatican.va}}</ref>

Originally, congregations were select groups of [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinals]] drawn from the [[College of Cardinals]], commissioned to take care of some field of activity that concerned the [[Holy See]]. After the [[Second Vatican Council]], members included [[diocesan bishop]]s from diverse parts of the world who are not cardinals. Each congregation also had a permanent staff.

Each congregation was led by a prefect, who is usually a cardinal.<ref name="canon">René Metz, ''Twentieth Century Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Vol. 80: What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960), pp. 99-101</ref> A non-cardinal appointed to head a congregation was styled pro-prefect until made a cardinal. This practice was later abandoned.

Under the reforms of [[Pope Francis]], the congregations were each turned into what are now known as [[Dicastery|dicasteries]].

==History and functioning==
Certain curial departments have been organized by the [[Holy See]] at various times to assist it in the transaction of those affairs which canonical discipline and the individual interests of the faithful bring to Rome. Among the most important were the Roman Congregations, traditionally comprising cardinals who assist the [[pope]] in the administration of the affairs of the Church.<ref name="catholic">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13136a.htm Ojetti, Benedetto. "The Roman Congregations." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 30 September 2022 {{PD-notice}}</ref>

The Roman Congregations originated from the necessity, felt from the beginning, of studying the questions submitted for pontifical decision, in order to sift the legal questions arising and to establish matters of fact. Ecclesiastical business used to be handled by the pontifical chancery. This work, at first entrusted to the papal chaplains, was afterwards divided between the ''penitentiarii'' and the ''auditores'', according as questions of the internal or the external forum (i.e., jurisdiction) were to be considered. Thereafter, cardinals in greater or less number were associated with them. Often, however, they were not merely entrusted with the preparation of the case, but were given authority to decide it. However, the ever-growing number of business items and the ever-increasing complexity of the issues necessitated the creation of separate, specialised administrative-legislative bodies<ref name=canon/> (the administrative and [[law|legislative]] functions of ecclesiastical government are not as sharply separated in the [[Catholic Church]] as in a secular government with the [[separation of powers]]).<ref name=canon/>

[[Pope Sixtus V]] was the first to distribute this administrative business among different congregations of cardinals; and in his [[apostolic constitution]] ''[[Immensa Aeterni Dei]]'' (22 January 1588) he generalized the idea, already conceived and partly reduced to practice by some of his predecessors, of committing one or another case or a group of cases to the examination, or to the decision, of several cardinals.<ref>{{cite book | last=Levillain |first=Philippe |title=The Papacy: An Encyclopedia | url=https://archive.org/details/papacy00phil_1 | url-access=registration |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York| ISBN=0-415-92230-5 |page=772}}</ref> By a judicious division of administrative matters, he established the permanent organization of these departments of the Curia. ''Immensa aeterni Dei'' called for the formation of 15 permanent congregations:<ref name=catholic/>

*[[Congregation for the Inquisition|Congregation for the Holy Inquisition]]
*[[Apostolic Signatura|Congregation of the Signatura]]
*[[Dicastery for Bishops|Congregation for the Erection of Churches and Consistorial Provisions]]
*Congregation of the Annona, for the provisioning of Rome and the provinces
*[[Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments|Congregation for Sacred Rites and Ceremonies]]
*Congregation of the Sapienza
*[[Congregation for an index of forbidden books|Congregation for an Index of Forbidden Books]]
*[[Dicastery for the Clergy|Congregation for the Execution and Interpretation of the Council of Trent]]
*Congregation of the Public Welfare
*[[Congregation for the University of the Roman study]] (or school)
*[[Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life|Congregation for Regulations of Religious Orders]]
*[[Congregation for Bishops|Congregation for Regulations of Bishops and Other Prelates]]
*Congregation for Taking Care of Roads, Bridges, and Waters
*[[Congregation of the Vatican Press|Congregation for the Vatican Printing-Press]]
*[[Sacra Consulta|Congregation of State Consultations]]

While the chief end of the Congregations of Cardinals was to assist the pontiff in the administration of the affairs of the Church, some of these congregations were created to assist in the administration of the temporal [[Papal States|States of the Holy See]].<ref name=catholic/> ''Immensa Aeterni Dei'' has since been superseded, most recently by Pope John Paul II's constitution ''[[Pastor Bonus]]''. 

===Reform of Pius X===
Other congregations were added by different popes, until a complete organization was established by [[Pope Pius X]] in his Constitution ''Sapienti Consilio'' of 29 June 1908, according to which there were thirteen congregations, counting that of the Propaganda as only one; however, the last-named congregation is divided into two parts: Congregation of the Propaganda for Affairs of the Latin Church, and Congregation of the Propaganda for Affairs of the Oriental Rites, it may well be considered as two congregations, so that the total number of the congregations is fourteen. Sixtus V granted ordinary jurisdiction to each of the congregations which he instituted within the limits of the cases assigned to it, reserving to himself and to his successors the presidency of some of the more important congregations, such as the Congregation of the Holy Inquisition and that of the Signature of Grace. As time went on, the congregations of cardinals, which at first dealt exclusively with administrative matters, came to pass upon the legal points of the cases submitted to them, until the congregations overshadowed the ecclesiastical tribunals and even the [[Roman Rota]], in fact almost taking their places. In time the transaction of business was impeded by the accumulation of jurisdictions, different congregations exercising jurisdiction rendering decisions and enacting laws in the same matters; Pius X resolved to define the competency of each congregation more precisely and to provide otherwise for the better exercise of its functions.<ref name=catholic/>

On 29 June 1908, with the constitution ''[[Sapienti Consilio]]'', [[Pope Pius X]] reduced the number of the congregations to 11. They were:<ref name=canon/>
*[[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith|Holy Office]]
*[[Congregation for Bishops|Consistorial Congregation]]
*[[Congregation for the Sacraments|Sacraments]]
*Congregation for the Council
*[[Congregation for Religious]]
*[[Congregation for Propaganda|Propaganda Fide]]
*[[Congregation for Rites]]
*Congregation for Ceremonial
*[[Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs]]
*Congregation for Seminaries and Universities
*Congregation for the Eastern Church

All decisions of the sacred congregations require pontifical approval, unless special powers have been given previously by the pope. The officials of the congregations are divided into two classes: minor officers, who are to be chosen by competitive examination and named by a letter of the [[cardinal-prefect]], and major officers, freely selected by the pope, and named by a note of the [[Cardinal Secretary of State|cardinal secretary of state]]. There is to be henceforth no cumulation of offices in the hands of one individual, not only to satisfy the requirements of distributive justice, but also because the tenure of several offices by the same person often results in detriment to the service. Wherefore, it is forbidden for an officer of one of the congregations to serve in any way as an agent, or as a procurator or advocate, in his own department or in any other ecclesiastical tribunal.<ref name=catholic/>

The competency of the 'congresso' in each congregation is determined. The congresso consists of the major officers under the presidency of the cardinal who presides over the congregation. It deals with the matters of less importance among those that are before the congregation, while those of greater moment must be referred to the full congregation. It is also the business of the congresso to prepare for their discussion those matters that are to be considered by the full congregation. On the other hand, the congresso is charged with the execution of the orders of the full congregation that have received the approval of the pope. As examples of matters of greater importance which must be considered by the full congregation, the special rules (''normæ peculiares'') mention the solution of doubts or of questions that may arise in regard to the interpretation of ecclesiastical laws, the examination of important administrative controversies and kindred matters.<ref name=catholic/>

===Reform of Paul VI===
Following the [[Second Vatican Council]], [[Pope Paul VI]] implemented many of the changes called for in the Curia with his constitution ''[[Regimini Ecclesiae Universae]]'' of 15 August 1967. The functions of some offices that had already been severely reduced were abolished: the Sacred Ceremonial Congregation. One of the main changes brought about by Paul VI was the admission of diocesan bishops and archbishops as members of the Congregations, which has previously been restricted to cardinals.<ref>[https://www.chicagocatholic.com/vatican/-/article/2022/06/01/how-pope-francis-is-reforming-the-roman-curia Lamb, Christopher. "How Pope Francis is reforming the Roman Curia", ''Chicago Catholic'', June 1, 2022]</ref> As before, the members of a congregation do not intervene in the day-to-day operations of the congregation, which is in the hands of the prefect and the permanent staff, headed generally by the secretary and the undersecretary. The permanent staff is to be of international provenance. Membership normally meet to discuss more general problems and to determine guidelines no more than once a year.

===Reform of John Paul II===
The most recent reorganization of the Roman Congregations came with [[Pope John Paul II]]'s constitution ''[[Pastor Bonus]]'', issued June 28, 1988. This constitution more closely aligned the structure of the Curia with the norms established by the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|1983 ''Code of Canon Law'']] and the early drafts of what became the 1990 ''Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches''. ''Pastor Bonus'' also continued Paul's expansion of the membership of congregations, allowing priests, deacons, the religious and the laity to be members of certain congregations and establishing [[consultor]]s, experts appointed to the dicasteries of the Roman Curia to provide opinions, either singly or collectively, for particular issues when required.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sodano|first=Angelo Cardinal|date=2001|title=The Holy See's Presence in International Affairs|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/whith2&id=87&div=&collection=|journal=Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations|volume=2|pages=87}}</ref>

Sr. [[Luzia Premoli]], superior general of the Combonian Missionary Sisters, was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 2014, thus becoming the first woman to be appointed a member of a Vatican congregation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=10843|title=First woman appointed to a Vatican congregation joyful :: EWTN News|website=www.ewtnnews.com|access-date=2014-09-30|archive-date=2016-03-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311192331/http://ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/vatican.php?id=10843|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Reform of Pope Francis===
On 19 March 2022, Pope Francis issue the [[apostolic constitution]] ''[[Praedicate evangelium]]'', abrogating  and replacing Pope John Paul II's ''Pastor bonus'' of 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-19 |title=Pope Francis promulgates new Apostolic Constitution of Roman Curia |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2022-03/pope-francis-apostolic-constitution-jpraedicate-evangelium.html |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Vatican News |language=en}}</ref> The former Congregations are now termed "[[Dicastery|dicasteries]]" (i.e., "departments"). Before the reform, the most important department of the Vatican was the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]]. With ''Praedicate evangelium'', the most important department is the [[Dicastery for Evangelization]], with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith coming second.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connell |first=Gerard |date=2022-03-19 |title=With Pope Francis’ reform of the Roman Curia, nine years of work is coming to fruition |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/03/19/roman-curia-pope-francis-242636 |website=America Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Vatican City}}
* [[Agents of Roman Congregations]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{catholic|wstitle=The Roman Congregations}}

==External links==
* [http://www.vatican.va/content/romancuria/en.html The Roman Curia - Congregations]

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[[Category:Congregations of the Roman Curia| 01]]
[[Category:Catholic organizations established in the 16th century]]