Pope announces new Vatican congregation for laity, family, and life

October 22, 2015

Pope Francis has announced plans to establish a new Vatican congregation: the Congregation for Laity, Family, and Life.

The new congregation will combine the work of three existing Vatican dicasteries: the Pontifical Council for the Family, Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Pontifical Academy for Life.

Pope Francis announced the plan for the new congregation in an October 22 address to the Synod of Bishops, which is concluding its deliberations this week. The Pope said that he has created a commission to draft canonical statutes for the new congregation, and these statutes will be reviewed by the Council of Cardinals at their next meeting, in December.

The creation of this new dicastery had been widely anticipated, as part of the reform of the Roman Curia that Pope Francis has undertaken. At a September meeting, the Council of Cardinals had recommended the creation of this new body. A proposal to create a second new congregation, dealing with issues of charity, justice, and peace, remains under discussion.

The Vatican congregations are the most important offices of the Roman Curia. The new body will join nine existing congregations:

1. Congregation for Bishops
2. Congregation for Catholic Education
3. Congregation for the Causes of Saints
4. Congregation for Clergy
5. Congregation for Divine Worship
6. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
7. Congregation for Evangelization
8. Congregation for Consecrated Life
9. Congregation for the Eastern Churches

 

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Further information:

• Pope Francis announces the establishment of a new Dicastery (Vatican Radio)
• Updated: Pope Francis creates Vatican office combining laity, family, life issues (EWTN)
• Council of Cardinals completes proposal for new Congregation for the Laity (CWN, 9/16)