“Praedicate Evangelium” (Preach the Gospel)

New Apostolic Constitution promulgated on 19-03-2022 by Pope Francis which replaces the ‘Pastor Bonus’ of St John Paul II

# Pope has changed the title ‘Congregation’ to Dicastery

# Anyone (not only Cardinals but lay person also) can be the head of the Dicastery

# Gives importance for evangelisation / mission

# Gives more freedom for diocese except in doctrine and morals

# All the baptized (including women) has the obligation and right to proclaim the Good News

The 16 dicasteries are as follows:

1. Dicastery for Evangelization
2. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
3. Dicastery for the Service of Charity
4. Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
5. Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
6. Dicastery for the Causes of Saints
7. Dicastery for Bishops
8. Dicastery for the Clergy
9. Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
10. Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life
11. Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
12. Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
13. Dicastery for Culture and Education
14. Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
15. Dicastery for Legislative Texts
16. Dicastery for Communication

 

On the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Pope Francis promulgated the new Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, entitled “Praedicate evangelium”. The text, which governs the Roman Curia, will enter into force on 5 June 2022, the Solemnity of Pentecost.

The Constitution marks the outcome of a lengthy listening process that began with the General Congregations that preceded the Conclave of 2013. The new Constitution replaces “Pastor bonus”, which Pope St. John Paul II promulgated on 28 June 1988 and in force since 1 March 1989 and consisting of 250 articles.

On Monday, 21 March at 11:30 a.m., Praedicate evangelium will be presented at the Holy See Press Office by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Bishop Marco Mellino, Secretary of the Council of Cardinals, and Jesuit Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda, canonist and emeritus professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

The text, as mentioned, is the result of lenghty collegial work, which took its cue from the 2013 pre-conclave meetings, and involved the Council of Cardinals with meetings from October 2013 to last February, taking place under the guidance of Pope Francis and with various contributions from the local Churches around the world.

Evangelization-focused Curia
It should be noted that the new Constitution calls for a path of reform that has already been almost entirely implemented over the past nine years, through the mergers and adjustments that have taken place and have led to the creation of new dicasteries.

The text emphasizes that “the Roman Curia is composed of the Secretariat of State, the Dicasteries and the Offices, all of which are legally equal.”

Among the most significant developments in this regard contained in the document is the unification into the Dicastery for Evangelization of the former Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. The two heads of these offices both become pro-prefects, because the prefecture of this new department is reserved to the Pope. In fact, the Constitution reads: “The Dicastery for Evangelization is presided over directly by the Roman Pontiff.”

“Praedicate Evangelium” (Preach the Gospel)