The Pope promulgates the Apostolic Constitution consecrating the Roman evangelization

Andrea Tornelli – Sergio Centofanti

Released this Saturday, March 19, Saint Peter’s Day. A New Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia and Its Service to the Church and the World The healthiest evangelium: Comes into effect on June 5th, Pentecost.

As a result of a lengthy listening process that began with the public rallies preceding the 2013 meeting, the new constitution, which replaced “Reverend rewardBy John Paul II – Issued on June 28, 1988 and in effect since March 1, 1989 – Consists of 250 clauses.

Next Monday, March 21, at 11:30 a.m., the text will be presented in the press room of the Holy See Cardinal Marcello Simraro, Dean of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, by Archbishop Marco Melino, Secretary of the Council of Cardinals, and Jesuit Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda, Ecclesiastical, Professor Emeritus of Pontifical Gregorian University.

The text, as mentioned, is the result of a long collective work, inspired by the pre-conciliation meetings of 2013, with the participation of the Council of Cardinals, with meetings from October 2013 to last February, and continued under the direction of the Pope with various contributions from churches around the world.

It is noteworthy that the new constitution endorses a reform process that has already been implemented almost completely in the past nine years, through mergers and amendments that led to the birth of new forums. The text stresses that “the Roman Curia consists of the secretariat of state, provinces and living beings, all legally equal to one another.”

Among the most important innovations in this regard contained in the document is the unification of the Dakar Evangelization of the former Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for the Advancement of New Evangelization: the Conservatives, because the prefecture of this new directorate is reserved for the Pope. In fact, the constitution states that “the religion of the missionary is directly presided over by the Roman Pontiff.”

Subsequently, the Dicastery was created for the service of charity, represented by the Almscraft, which thus takes on a more important role in Curia: and, at the option of the poor, the weak, and the excluded, he does the work of aid and assistance to them in any part of the world in the name of the Roman Pontiff, who, in cases of poverty or Another need, that makes help personally available to be customized.”

The Apostolic Constitution presents first and foremost, in this order, the Doctors of Evangelization, the Doctrine of Faith and the Service of Charity.

Another consolidation concerns the Committee for the Protection of Minors, which has become part of the Dicastery of the Creed of the Faith, continues to function according to its own rules and has its own president and secretary.

An essential part of the document relates to general principles. The preamble states that every Christian is a missionary disciple. It is essential, among the general principles, to specify that everyone – and thus also laymen and lay faithful – may be appointed to government posts in the Roman Curia, by virtue of the vicarious authority of Peter’s successor: “Every Christian, by the virtue of baptism is a missionary disciple in so far as he has found love God is in Christ Jesus. This cannot be ignored in the modernization of the Curia, the reform of which must, therefore, include the participation of the laity and women, also in roles of governance and responsibility.”

The curia is also emphasized as an instrument in the service of the Bishop of Rome also for the benefit of the universal Church, and thus the bishops and local churches. “The Roman Curia does not place itself between the pope and the bishops, but puts itself at the service of both, according to the modalities appropriate to the nature of each.”

Another important point regarding spirituality: the members of the Roman Curia are also “missionary disciples.” In particular, synodality was highlighted, as a usual way of working for the Roman Curia, a path already underway, which must be developed increasingly.

Among other aspects of the document are the definition of the State Secretariat as a “Pontifical Secretariat”, the transfer of the Korea Personnel Office to the Economics Secretariat (SPE), and the reference to the Administration of the Heritage of the Holy See (APSA) through the active activity of the Institute of Religious Works.

In addition, it has been established that for clergy and religious serving in the Roman Curia, the term of office is five years and may be renewed for another five years, eventually returning to the dioceses and communities of reference: “The rule that, after five years, clergy and members of life institutes return consecrated and assemblies of apostolic life who have served in the institutions and offices of the curia to the pastoral care in their dioceses/dioceses, or in the institutes or societies to which they belong. The Roman curia considers it appropriate, that the service may be extended for another five years.”