Dicastery (from Greek δικαστήριον, law-court, from δικάστης, judge/juror) is an Italicism sometimes used in English to refer to the Departments of the Roman Curia. The Roman Curia — usually called the Vatican — is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ...

Apart from the Secretariat of State (the Pope's secretariat), these Dicasteries or Departments are grouped in the following categories: The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin...

1. Congregations, headed by a Prefect, who is most frequently a cardinal:
   1. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
   2. The Congregation for the Oriental Churches
   3. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
   4. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints
   5. The Congregation for Bishops
   6. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
   7. The Congregation for the Clergy
   8. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
   9. The Congregation for Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions)
2. Tribunals:
   1. The Apostolic Penitentiary, headed by the Penitentiary Major, for the "internal forum" (matters of conscience, absolution of censures)
   2. The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, headed by the Prefect
   3. The Tribunal of the Roman Rota, headed by the Dean, which judges cases such as those brought to prove the nullity of a marriage
3. Pontifical Councils, each headed by a President
   1. The Pontifical Council for the Laity
   2. The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
   3. The Pontifical Council for the Family
   4. The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
   5. The Pontifical Council Cor Unum
   6. The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
   7. The Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers
   8. The Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts
   9. The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
   10. The Pontifical Council for Culture
   11. The Pontifical Council for Social Communications
4. Offices:
   1. The Apostolic Camera, headed by the Camerlengo
   2. The Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
   3. The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
5. Other bodies:
   1. The Prefecture of the Papal Household (often referred to as the Audience Office)
   2. The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff
   3. The Central Statistics Office of the Church
   4. Papal Commissions, of which the following are given special prominence:
      1. The Pontifical Commission for the Patrimony of the Church
      2. The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology
      3. The Pontifical Biblical Commission
      4. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
      5. The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State

The Commissions are often classified not as integral parts of the Roman Curia but rather as associated with it in a way similar to the way the Vatican Secret Archives and the Vatican Apostolic Library are connected with the Holy See. A congregation is a type of dicastery of the Roman Curia, the central administrative organism of the Catholic Church. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals which as a body elects a new pope. ... The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) (Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei) is the oldest of the nine congregations of the Roman Curia. ... The Congregation for the Oriental Churches (Congregatio pro Ecclesiis Orientalibus) is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for contact with the Oriental Catholic Churches for the sake of assisting their development, protecting their rights and also maintaining whole and entire in the one Catholic Church, alongside the liturgical, disciplinary... The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Congregatio de Cultu Divino et Disciplina Sacramentorum) is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters... The Congregation for the Causes of Saints (Congregatio de Causis Sanctorum) is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process which leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of heroic virtues and beatification. ... The Congregation for Bishops (Congregatio pro Episcopis) is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops pending papal approval. ... The headquarters of the Propaganda fide in Rome, North facade on Piazza di Spagna by architect Bernini, the southwest facade seen here by Borromini: etching by Giuseppe Vasi, 1761 [1] The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelizatione) is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsibile for... Prefect Cardinal Hummes The Congregation for the Clergy (Congregatio pro Clericis) is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders. ... The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (Congregatio pro Institutis Vitae Consecratae et Societatibus Vitae Apostolicae) is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns institutes of consecrated life (orders and religious congregations, both of men and of women, secular institutes) and... The Congregation for Catholic Education (in Seminaries and Institutes of Study) [Congregationis de Institutione Catholica quo ordo studiorum in Facultatibus Iuris Canonici innovatur] is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: (1) seminaries (except those regulated by the Congregations for the Evangelization of Peoples and for the Oriental Churches... The Apostolic Penitentiary, more formally the Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is one of three bodies in the Roman Curia that make up the judiciary within the Holy See. ... The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the administrative appellate tribunal of the Holy See and, consequently, the highest judicial authority of the Roman Catholic Church outside of the Pope himself. ... The Sacra Rota Romana or Sacred Roman Rota is the second highest tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Pontifical Council for the Laity has the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their contributions to the Church. ... The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council. ... The Pontifical Council for the Family is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Justitia et Pax) is a part of the Roman Curia dedicated to action-oriented studies for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers was set up by the Motu Proprio Dolentium Hominum of 11 February 1985, by Pope John Paul II who reformed the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers into its present form in 1988. ... The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts is part of the Roman Curia. ... The Pontifical Council for Culture (Pontificium Consilium de Cultura) dates back to the Second Vatican Council. ... The Pontifical Council for Social Communications (Pontificium Consilium de Communicationibus Socialibus) is a dicastery of the Roman Curia. ... The Apostolic Camera, or in Latin (Reverenda) Camera Apostolica or Apostolica Camera, is the former central board of finance in the papal administrative system, which at one time was of great importance in the government of the States of the Church, and in the administration of justice, lead by the... The title Camerlengo (Italian for Chamberlain) refers to an official of the Papal court, referring either to the Chamberlain of the Roman Catholic Church, to the Chamberlain of the Sacred College of Cardinals, or to various lesser dignitaries. ... The Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See is part of the Roman Curia that deals with the properties owned by the Holy See in order to provide the funds necessary for the Roman Curia to function. (Pastor Bonus, 172). ... The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See is an Office of the Roman Curia that manages the financial investments and budget of Vatican City and the Roman Catholic Church, erected August 15, 1957. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Prefecture for the Pontifical Household. ... The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff is described in Pastor Bonus as: § 2. ... The Pontifical Biblical Commission is a committee of Cardinals, aided by consultors, who meet in Rome to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of Sacred Scripture. ... The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei is a commission of the Roman Catholic Church aiming to bring back traditionalist Catholics into communion with Rome, primarily the Society of Saint Pius X. It is headed by Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos. ... The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is the legislative body of Vatican City. ... The Vatican Secret Archives (Latin: Archivum Secretum Apostolicum Vaticanum), is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. ... Pope Sixtus IV appoints Bartolomeo Platina prefect of the Vatican Library, fresco by Melozzo da Forlì, c. ...

External links

• Section of the Apostolic Constitution "Pastor Bonus" dealing with dicasteries