Roman Curia

The Roman Curia (Latin: Curia Romana, lit. '[Royal] Court of Rome') comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Vatican Curia. The Roman Curia is the central body through which the affairs of the Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution of which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office and universal mission in the world: thus curialism refers traditionally to an emphasis on the supreme authority of the Holy See within the Catholic Church. It is at the service of the Pope and bishops, fulfilling their function with an evangelical spirit, working for the good and at the service of communion, unity and edification of the Universal Church and attending to the demands of the world in which the Church is called to fulfill its duty and mission (Praedicate evangelium, article 1). The structure and organization of responsibilities within the Curia are at present regulated by the apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium issued by Pope Francis on 19 March 2022, which entered into force on 5 June 2022. It was previously regulated by Pastor bonus, issued by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988. With the coming into force of Praedicate evangelium, Pastor bonus was fully abrogated and replaced. Other bodies that play an administrative or consulting role in ecclesial affairs are sometimes mistakenly identified with the Curia, such as the Synod of Bishops and regional conferences of bishops. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote in 2015 that "the Synod of Bishops is not a part of the Roman Curia in the strict sense: it is the expression of the collegiality of bishops in communion with the Pope and under his direction....