杏MAP导航

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Structural changes, novelties dictated by present contingencies, processes already underway for years and finally completed: Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, went to the heart of , the Apostolic Constitution reforming the Roman Curia, which was published on 19 March and which will take effect 5 June. With the Apostolic Constitution, Cardinal Parolin said, 鈥渙ne of the main objectives that the present pontificate had set for itself from the beginning has been realized.鈥�

Study Day

The Cardinal opened a Study Day entitled, 鈥淧raedicate Evangelium: Structure, content and novelty,鈥� which was organized by the Institutum Utriusque Iuris of the Pontifical Lateran University. The first major event since the publication of the Constitution, the study day is a significant moment of high-level discussion to understand the framework and criteria of the document with which 杏MAP导航 Francis has harmonized the changes to the Curia that have already been implemented and become operative during his pontificate. In addition to Cardinal Parolin, other speakers included Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, secretary of the Council of Cardinals for many years; the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves; the prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, and the Auditor General, Alessandro Cassinis Righini. Bishop Marco Mellino, secretary of the Council of Cardinals, who had been scheduled to speak, was absent for health reasons.

鈥淭aking stock鈥�

In the Aula Magna, in the presence of lecturers and students of the 鈥淎teneo del Papa,鈥� Parolin recalled the stages that, over the past nine years, have led to the drafting of the Constitution reforming the Curia, which he described as 鈥渁n instrument in the hands of the 杏MAP导航鈥� for the good of the Church and the service of the bishops.

Praedicate evangelium, he said, is a response to the 鈥渞epeated requests made by the cardinals during the Congregations prior to the 2013 Conclave.鈥� Among the first acts of his pontificate, the 杏MAP导航 established the Council of Cardinals with the mandate 鈥渢o study a project for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus.鈥� Cardinal Parolin explained, 鈥淭he envisioned reform was implemented progressively over several years, with the creation of new bodies and with inevitable subsequent adjustments, in 鈥榬unning鈥� institutions, entirely new and called to work together.鈥�

Now, he continued, 鈥�Praedicate evangelium seeks to draw conclusions from the experiences and adjustments of the past years, taking new steps,鈥� in order 鈥渢o complete the overall picture,鈥� Cardinal Parolin, said according to three criteria: 鈥渢he communion of ecclesial institutions, cooperation in inter-office relations, and adjustment of personal attitudes.鈥�

Role and functions of the Secretariat of State

A large part of Cardinal Parolin鈥檚 speech focused on the role of the Secretariat of State, which 鈥渞etains a special status in law because of its specific task of closely assisting the Supreme Pontiff in the exercise of his supreme mission.鈥�

The functions of the Secretariat, he said, 鈥渁re substantially the same as before,鈥� albeit with some 鈥渧ariations.鈥�

First and foremost, the changes relating to the economic sphere. In this regard, the Cardinal recalled the that established that the Secretariat for the Economy would perform 鈥渢he function of Papal Secretariat for economic and financial matters鈥� and that investments and funds previously entrusted to the Administrative Office of the Secretariat of State would be transferred to the APSA. The new Constitution, he said, consolidated these changes. 鈥淭he status of Papal Secretariat, as an office that closely assists the pastoral government of the Holy Father, is currently shared by two different curial institutions. In economic and financial matters, this status belongs to the Secretariat for the Economy, and in all other fields to the Secretariat of State,鈥� Cardinal Parolin explained.

Official Communication of the Holy See

Cardinal Parolin also addressed the subject of the official communication of the Holy See, with the reorganization and creation of the Dicastery for Communication which, together with various institutions traditionally linked to the Secretariat of State (L鈥橭sservatore Romano, Vatican Radio), also incorporated the Holy See Press Office.

The new provisions, Cardinal Parolin explained, 鈥減rovide that the publication of the documents of the Holy See through the official Bulletin Acta Apostolicae Sedis remains reserved to the Section for General Affairs鈥�; on the other hand, 鈥渢hat Section makes use of the Dicastery for Communication with regard to official communications concerning both the acts of the 杏MAP导航 and the activity of the Holy See, providing in this sphere precise 鈥榠ndications鈥� that the Dicastery must execute.鈥�

Father Guerrero Alves delivers his address during the Study Day at the Pontifical Lateran University

Changes with regard to financial matters

Father Guerrero鈥檚 speech was wide-ranging, illustrating the changes that have taken place over the years in economic and financial matters. He described it as a 鈥渢ortuous path鈥� that has seen the establishment, suppression, amalgamation, or transfer of competencies of various economic bodies that have now been consolidated into the Council for the Economy, the Secretariat for the Economy, the Office of the Auditor General, and the Commission for Reserved Matters.

These bodies too, the Jesuit has repeatedly stressed, 鈥渁re at the service of the mission鈥�; and, in fact, they are not the 鈥渃ore business鈥� of the Roman Curia, but an 鈥渁id to the service of the mission carried out by various curial Dicasteries and institutions,鈥� where 鈥渢he constant point of reference鈥� is the Social Doctrine of the Church and 鈥渢he duty is to preach the Gospel by example.鈥�

The Holy See鈥檚 own financial actions are aimed at 鈥渁iding and obtaining material means to facilitate and make possible the Curia鈥檚 mission,鈥� Father Guerrero stressed, 鈥渨ithout causing the Church鈥檚 evangelization to lose credibility.鈥� He insisted, 鈥淓fforts must be made so that the functioning of the Curia does not become an impediment to its mission鈥�.

Vigilance and transparency

Father Guerrero went on to highlight a number of novelties introduced by Praedicate evangelium, such as the fact that financial transactions in investments must go through the IOR (the so-called 鈥淰atican Bank鈥�), or that the same investments, if over 鈧�500,000, must be approved by the Secretariat for the Economy (with the pandemic, the threshold was lowered to 鈧�100,000).

Finally, the Jesuit priest desired to clarify the nature and mission of the Commission for Reserved Matters, set up in September 2020 as envisaged by the so-called 鈥淧rocurement Code.鈥� It is a necessary clarification, he said, because the very name 鈥渞eserved matters鈥� could raise concerns that there are secret funds or financial actions that escape control. 鈥淣o, there is no secrecy about the economy,鈥� said the prefect. 鈥淭ransparency鈥� remains one of the guiding principles, but 鈥渋n cases concerning the security of the State or of the 杏MAP导航, or to preserve other Church assets, it is necessary that some activity or contract be submitted to the control of the competent bodies and the Commission鈥檚 authorization be requested.鈥�

Other topics

In the morning, Bishop Andrea Ripa, Secretary of the Apostolic Signatura, spoke on the topic of 鈥渃onflicts of attribution鈥� in what is commonly referred to as the Vatican鈥檚 鈥淐onstitutional Court.鈥�

Professors Emile Kouveglio and Patrick Valdrini, respectively professor in office and professor emeritus of Canon Law at PUL, then spoke. The former dwelt on the theme of 鈥減rimacy and episcopate鈥� in Praedicate evangelium, starting from the 鈥渉ealthy decentralization鈥� so often invoked by the 杏MAP导航; the latter on how the Constitution moves in the constitutional law of the Church, taking up 鈥渢he concept of a Curia with the character of a diakonia鈥� [ministry of service]. Or rather of an 鈥渋nstrument,鈥� as Paul VI described it, to which John Paul II added, 鈥渋n the hands of the 杏MAP导航.鈥�