Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs was a congregation
of the Roman Curia
, erected by Pope Pius VII
on 19 July 1814 by extending the competence to the Sacred Congregation for the Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Kingdom of France (Super Negotiis Ecclesiasticis Regni Galliarum), which Pope Pius VI
had set up in 1793. From the start, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Cardinal Secretary of State
. Its present-day continuance is as the Second Section of the Secretariat of State or the Section for Relations with States
.
. After the fall of Napoleon, its competence was extended in 1814 to negotiations with all governments about ecclesiastical matters. Hence the name of Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. With the apostolic constitution
Sapienti Consilio of 29 June 1909, which was later incorporated into the 1917 Code of Canon Law, Pope Pius X
divided the Secretariat of State
into three sections, of which the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs was the first. The competence of the Congregation was clarified by being limited, as is stated in canon 255 of that Code to erecting or dividing dioceses and appointing bishops where negotiations with civil governments were involved, and to other matters that the Pope might choose to entrust to it, especially matters connected in some way with civil law and the Holy See
's agreements and concordat
s with states.
Canon 263 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law thus states:
Following the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council
, Pope Paul VI
suppressed, with the apostolic constitution Regimini Ecclesiae Universae of 15 August 1967 the Chancery of Apostolic Briefs and made the "First Section of the Secretariat of State: Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs", which he renamed the "Council for the Public Affairs of the Church", distinct from the Secretariat of State, but still closely associated with it.
With the apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus
of 28 June 1988, Pope John Paul II
renamed this Council the Second Section of the Secretariat of State or the Section for Relations with States
.
In all its forms, the Congregation or Council has been presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State
.
Congregation (Roman Curia)
A congregation is a type of dicastery of the Roman Curia, the central administrative organism of the Catholic Church....
of the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
, erected by Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
on 19 July 1814 by extending the competence to the Sacred Congregation for the Ecclesiastical Affairs of the Kingdom of France (Super Negotiis Ecclesiasticis Regni Galliarum), which Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
had set up in 1793. From the start, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Cardinal Secretary of State
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Cardinal Secretary of State—officially Secretary of State of His Holiness The Pope—presides over the Holy See, usually known as the "Vatican", Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia...
. Its present-day continuance is as the Second Section of the Secretariat of State or the Section for Relations with States
Secretary for Relations with States
The Secretary for Relations with States is the foreign minister of the Holy See, an official serving within the Secretariat of State and presiding over its "Section for Relations with States." This ex officio archbishop deals with relations between the Holy See and other governments and...
.
History
The 1793 Congregation had been set up to deal with the exceptional situation that had arisen in France as a result of the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. After the fall of Napoleon, its competence was extended in 1814 to negotiations with all governments about ecclesiastical matters. Hence the name of Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. With the apostolic constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
Sapienti Consilio of 29 June 1909, which was later incorporated into the 1917 Code of Canon Law, Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
divided the Secretariat of State
Secretariat of State (Vatican)
The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of Vatican City and the Holy See...
into three sections, of which the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs was the first. The competence of the Congregation was clarified by being limited, as is stated in canon 255 of that Code to erecting or dividing dioceses and appointing bishops where negotiations with civil governments were involved, and to other matters that the Pope might choose to entrust to it, especially matters connected in some way with civil law and the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
's agreements and concordat
Concordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
s with states.
Canon 263 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law thus states:
- The Office of the Secretariat of State, presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State, consists of three sections, in the following order:
- 1. The First Section, headed by the Secretary of the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, deals with the matters that must be submitted to it in accordance with canon 255, leaving other matters to specific Congregations in accordance with their different nature;
- 2. The Second Section, headed by the Substitute (i.e. Alternate Secretary of State), deals with ordinary matters;
- 3. The Third Section, headed by the Chancellor of Apostolic Briefs, deals with the despatch of Briefs.
Following the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
suppressed, with the apostolic constitution Regimini Ecclesiae Universae of 15 August 1967 the Chancery of Apostolic Briefs and made the "First Section of the Secretariat of State: Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs", which he renamed the "Council for the Public Affairs of the Church", distinct from the Secretariat of State, but still closely associated with it.
With the apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus
Pastor Bonus
Pastor Bonus is an Apostolic Constitution promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988. It instituted a number of reforms in the process of running the central government of the Roman Catholic Church, as article 1 states "The Roman Curia is the complex of dicasteries and institutes which help...
of 28 June 1988, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
renamed this Council the Second Section of the Secretariat of State or the Section for Relations with States
Secretary for Relations with States
The Secretary for Relations with States is the foreign minister of the Holy See, an official serving within the Secretariat of State and presiding over its "Section for Relations with States." This ex officio archbishop deals with relations between the Holy See and other governments and...
.
In all its forms, the Congregation or Council has been presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Cardinal Secretary of State—officially Secretary of State of His Holiness The Pope—presides over the Holy See, usually known as the "Vatican", Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia...
.