History Of The Roman Curia
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History Of The Roman Curia
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. The college met regularly to form councils to lead its diocese. Its function also extended a calling to the universal Church, and for matters relating to it, the Pope surrounded himself with other bishops around Rome to hear their advice. Gradually, these consistories took an almost permanent presence: the word "curia" is first used in the Church by a papal d ...
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Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop of the apostolic see, apostolic episcopal see of Diocese of Rome, Rome, and serves as the spiritual and administrative authority of the worldwide Catholic Church and Vatican City. Under international law, the Legal status of the Holy See, Holy See holds the status of a sovereign juridical entity. According to Sacred tradition, Catholic tradition and historical records, the Holy See was founded in the first century by Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul. By virtue of the doctrines of Primacy of Peter, Petrine and papal primacy, papal primacy, it is the focal point of full communion for Catholics around the world. The Holy See is headquartered in, operates from, and exercises "exclusive dominion" over Vatican City, an independent c ...
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Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modernist interpretations of Ten Commandments in Catholic theology, Catholic doctrine, and for promoting liturgical reforms and Thomism, Thomist scholastic theology. He initiated the preparation of the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive and systemic work of its kind, which would ultimately be promulgated by Pope Benedict XV, his successor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Pius X was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the Marian title, title of Our Lady of Confidence; while his papal encyclical ''Ad diem illum'' took on a sense of renewal that was reflected in the motto of his pontificate. He advanced the Liturgical Movement by formulating the principle of ''participatio actuosa'' (active participation of the ...
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Prefecture Of The Pontifical Household
The Prefecture of the Papal Household (''Prefettura della Casa Pontificia'') is the office in charge of the Papal Household, a section of the Roman Curia containing the Papal Chapel (''Cappella Pontificia'') and the Papal Family (''Familia Pontificia''). The position of prefect has been vacant since Archbishop Georg Gänswein concluded his service on 28 February 2023. Functions According to the Vatican: It is the task of the Prefecture of the Papal Household to coordinate the services of the Antechamber and to organize the official audiences granted by His Holiness to Heads of State, Heads of Government, Governmental Ministers and other dignitaries, as well as to Ambassadors who come to the Vatican to present their Letters of Credence. The Prefecture takes care of the preparations for all audiences – private, special and general – and visits from those who are formally received by the Holy Father. It is also responsible for arranging Pontifical ceremonies – except liturg ...
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Congregation Of Ceremonies
The Sacred Congregation of Ceremonies was a dicastery of the Roman Curia that was charged with the direction of all papal ceremonies as well as of the ceremonial of cardinals. History and functions The congregation was established by Pope Sixtus V. It also communicated instructions to the legates of the Holy See for the maintenance of due decorum in transacting the affairs of their missions. This congregation also instructed the members of the Noble Guard and the ablegate who were sent to convey to new cardinals, living in Catholic states outside of Rome, the news of their promotion, together with the cardinal's hat and the red biretta. It instructed newly promoted cardinals, too, on the etiquette to be followed conformably with their new dignity. Finally, it solved the questions of precedence which arose among cardinals or among ambassadors to the Holy See. It was dissolved in 1967 in the Curial reforms by Pope Paul VI. Prefects since 1884 * Carlo Sacconi (28 Mar 1884 – ...
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Secretariat Of State (Holy See)
The Secretariat of State (Latin: ''Secretaria Status''; Italian: ''Segreteria di Stato'') is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See. The Secretariat is divided into three sections: the Section for General Affairs, the Section for Relations with States, and, since 2017, the Section for Diplomatic Staff. History of the Secretariat of State The origins of the Secretariat of State go back to the fifteenth century. The apostolic constitution '' Non Debet Reprehensibile'' of 31 December 1487 established the ''Secretaria Apostolica'' comprising twenty-four apostolic secretaries, one of whom bore the title ''Secretarius Domesticus'' and held a position of pre-eminence. One can also trace to this ''Secretaria Apostolica'' the Chancery of Briefs, the Secretariat of Briefs to Princes and the Secretariat ...
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Secretariate Of Briefs
The Secretariate of Briefs to Princes and of Latin Letters, or simply the Secretariate of Briefs, was one of the offices of the Roman Curia suppressed in 1967 during Pope Paul VI's reform of the Pontifical court. It was divided into two sections. The Secretariate of Briefs to Princes consisted of the Secretary and two office assistants. The Secretary was a prelate responsible for writing the papal briefs addressed to emperors, kings, princes, and other dignitaries. He also prepared the allocutions that the Pope pronounced at consistories, as well as encyclicals and apostolic letters addressed to bishops and the faithful. He acted according to the instructions of the Pope. He was required to be a proficient Latinist because these documents were written in Latin. The Secretary for Latin Letters was also a prelate or private papal chamberlain ("''cameriere segreto''" in Italian) and was responsible for writing letters in Latin of lesser importance on behalf of the Pope. He had a ...
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Apostolic Chancery
The Apostolic ChanceryCanon 260, ''Code of Canon Law'' of 1917, translated by Edward N. Peters, Ignatius Press, 2001. (; also known as the "Papal" or "Roman Chanc(ell)ery") was a dicastery of the Roman Curia at the service of the pope. The principal and presiding official was the Grand Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, who was always the cardinal-priest of the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Damaso. The principal function of the office was to collect money to maintain the Papal army and to produce documents and correspondence for the pope. Pope Pius VII reformed the office when Emperor Napoleon I of France obviated the need for Papal armies. In the early 20th century the office collected money for missionary work. Pope Paul VI abolished the ''Apostolic Chancellary'' on 27 February 1973, transferring its functions to the Secretariat of State. History Before 1908 The role of ''bibliotecarius'' first appears in 781, and was responsible for the pope's books as well as redacting docu ...
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Dataria
The Apostolic Datary (Latin: ''Dataria Apostolica'') was one of the five ''Ufficii di Curia'' ("Offices of the Curia") in the Roman Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. It was instituted no later than the 14th century AD. Pope Paul VI abolished it in 1967. Origin According to the ''De officio et jurisdictione datarii necnon de stylo Datariae'' of Amydenus and other authorities, the ''Dataria Apostolica'' was of very ancient origin, but the previous transaction by other offices of the business that was gradually assigned to it contradicts these authorities. The Dataria was principally entrusted with concession of matrimonial dispensations of external jurisdiction and with collation (ie, conferral) of benefices and rescripts that were reserved to the Apostolic See. To this double faculty was later added the power to grant many other indults and favors. Until the pontificate of Pope Pius IV, matrimonial dispensations were granted through the Apostolic Penitentiaria. Regarding th ...
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Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for sessions of 8 and 12 weeks. Pope John XXIII convened the council because he felt the Church needed "updating" (in Italian: '' aggiornamento''). He believed that to better connect with people in an increasingly secularized world, some of the Church's practices needed to be improved and presented in a more understandable and relevant way. Support for ''aggiornamento'' won out over resistance to change, and as a result 16 magisterial documents were produced by the council, including four "constitutions": * '' Dei verbum'', the ''Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation'' emphasized the study of scripture as "the soul of theology". * '' Gaudium et spes'', the ''Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World'', concerned the promotion ...
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Vatican City
Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became independent from the Kingdom of Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty. It is governed by the Holy See, itself a Legal status of the Holy See, sovereign entity under international law, which maintains Temporal power of the Holy See, its temporal power, governance, diplomacy, and spiritual independence. ''Vatican'' is also used as a metonym for the pope, the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Holy See and the Roman Curia. With an area of and a population of about 882 in 2024, it is the List of countries and dependencies by area, smallest sovereign state in the world both by area and List of countries and dependencies by population, by population. It is among the List of national capitals by population, least populated capit ...
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Lateran Treaty
The Lateran Treaty (; ) was one component of the Lateran Pacts of 1929, agreements between Italy under Victor Emmanuel III and Benito Mussolini and the Holy See under Pope Pius XI to settle the long-standing Roman question. The treaty and associated pacts were named after the Lateran Palace where they were signed on 11 February 1929, and the Italian Parliament ratified them on 7 June 1929. The treaty recognised Vatican City as an independent state under the sovereignty of the Holy See. Italy also agreed to give the Catholic Church financial compensation for the loss of the Papal States. In 1948, the Lateran Treaty was recognized in the Constitution of Italy as regulating the relations between the Italian Republic and the Catholic Church. Constitution of Italy, Article 7. While the treaty was significantly revised in 1984, ending the status of Catholicism as the sole state religion of Italy, the Vatican remains a distinct sovereign entity to the present day. Content The Late ...
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