When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, it was widely speculated that one of his principal charges was to reform the Roman Curia. Many interpreted him as uniquely suited for the task, as a sort of “insider-outsider” figure – familiar with the central governing structures of the Church, but situated elsewhere on the front lines of pastoral engagement as a diocesan bishop, not having spent the bulk of his career as a creature of the system that was seen on virtually all sides as broken, siloed and sclerotic.
His own personal autobiography added to this notion, as he had of course spent his life in the New World, but was the child of Italian immigrants, and so not totally removed from or foreign to the European context that still often dominates Catholic life and academic theology – despite population trends to the contrary.
On the ninth anniversary of his inauguration as Bishop of Rome, the pope promulgated the text “Praedicate Evangelium” (Preach the Gospel), which seeks to accomplish this longstanding task. It effectively replaces Pope John Paul II’s “Pastor Bonus” (1988) and Paul VI’s “Regimini Ecclesiae Universae”(1967). But many of the problematic issues it addresses predate even these documents, existing since at least the time of the Borgias. The 54-page text, notably released only in Italian and without the normal preparatory formalities perhaps to circumvent pockets of deeply entrenched resistance, will officially come into effect June 5, 2022, on this year’s Solemnity of Pentecost.
The first and most notable element of “Praedicate Evangelium” is the formation and even ordering of the 16 new dicasteries, which replace the more familiar Congregations and Councils. Some of these are basically retitled with minor tweaks (e.g. Bishops, Clergy, Causes of Saints), while others are given heightened prominence as a discastery on equal juridical footing with more renowned bodies (e.g. Promotion of Christian Unity, Inter-Religious Dialogue, Legislative Texts). Many represent new combinations or furtherance of relationships between previously independent units (e.g. Integral Human Development, Culture and Education, Laity Family and Life).
The pope’s commitment to the diplomatic role of the Holy See is obvious, given the Secretariat of State’s remaining and unique independence from the broader dicasterial structure. Perhaps most notably, the body formerly known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is no longer in the unquestioned role of “La Suprema,” as it was colloquially known. Now, the Dicastery for Evangelization is listed first and falls under the direct control of the Holy Father, with pro-prefects aiding him in running two parallel sections: one on the “fundamental questions of evangelization in the world” and one oriented toward more traditional mission territories. It’s quite clear that Pope Francis considers the Church’s missionary efforts as the Curia’s “La Suprema Nuova.”
Central to both the theological introduction to the text and the new structures described is the further dismantling of clericalism that has represented one of the hallmark characteristics of this pontificate. The document’s most discussed and groundbreaking development is likely its opening the possibility that laywomen and men can and should have a greater leadership role in these bodies, one that transcends a merely consultative presence. It’s clear that the pope wants to re-orient the Curia away from strict service solely to the papacy (as in many ways, it is what most people mean when they refer to “the Vatican” doing or saying x or y, unless they are discussing the geographical nation-state or the Holy See more technically).
Instead, he wants the Curia also to support the wider College of Bishops around the globe, and more generally, the community of believers in the contemporary world. Local bishops’ conferences are cited 52 times. In Pope John Paul II’s version, they were referenced twice. Five-year term limits, renewable only once, are an obvious attempt to rein in careerism throughout the Curia.
As is so often the case, some interpreters claim the pope has undone generations of stability and inherited traditions, while others argue that he hasn’t gone far enough in his reforms. There’s a famous Roman joke about the Curia that the SCV on the Vatican license plates stands not for “Stato della Cittá del Vaticano,” (Vatican City State), but instead “Se Cristo Vedesse!” which can be roughly translated: “If Only Christ Could See This…”
Perhaps a potential ecclesiological re-orientation of the Curia toward greater missionary discipleship, evangelical zeal and wider inclusivity may in fact mean that Pope Francis and his successors end up having the last laugh.
Originally from Collingswood, Michael M. Canaris, Ph.D., teaches at Loyola University, Chicago.
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