Information About

Dicastery

Apart from the Secretariat Of State (the Pope 's secretariat), these Dicasteries or Departments are grouped in the following categories:
# Congregations , headed by a Prefect, who is most frequently a Cardinal :
##The Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith
##The Congregation For The Oriental Churches
##The Congregation For Divine Worship And The Discipline Of The Sacraments
##The Congregation For The Causes Of Saints
##The Congregation For Bishops
##The Congregation For The Evangelization Of Peoples
##The Congregation For The Clergy
##The Congregation For Institutes Of Consecrated Life And Societies Of Apostolic Life
##The Congregation For Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions)
#Tribunals:
##The Apostolic Penitentiary , headed by the Penitentiary Major, for the "internal forum" (matters of conscience, absolution of censures)
##The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura , headed by the Prefect
##The Tribunal of the Roman Rota , headed by the Dean, which judges cases such as those brought to prove the nullity of a marriage
#Pontifical Councils, each headed by a President
##The Pontifical Council For The Laity
##The Pontifical Council For Promoting Christian Unity
##The Pontifical Council For The Family
##The Pontifical Council For Justice And Peace
##The Pontifical Council ''Cor Unum''
##The Pontifical Council For The Pastoral Care Of Migrants And Itinerant People
##The Pontifical Council For Pastoral Assistance To Health Care Workers
##The Pontifical Council For The Interpretation Of Legislative Texts
##The Pontifical Council For Inter-religious Dialogue
##The Pontifical Council For Culture
##The Pontifical Council For Social Communications
#Offices:
##The Apostolic Camera , headed by the Camerlengo
##The Administration Of The Patrimony Of The Apostolic See
##The Prefecture For The Economic Affairs Of The Holy See
#Other bodies:
##The Prefecture Of The Papal Household (often referred to as the Audience Office)
##The Office For The Liturgical Celebrations Of The Supreme Pontiff
##The Central Statistics Office Of The Church
##Papal Commissions, of which the following are given special prominence:
###The Pontifical Commission For The Cultural Property Of The Church
###The Pontifical Commission For Sacred Archaeology
###The Pontifical Biblical Commission
###The Pontifical Commission ''Ecclesia Dei''

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 .

EXTERNAL LINKS

[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19880628_pastor-bonus-general-norms_en.html Section of the Apostolic Constitution "Pastor Bonus" dealing with dicasteries]