Pontifical Commission for Latin America
Encyclopedia
The Pontifical Commission for Latin America is a department
of the Roman Curia
. Established by Pope Pius XII
on 19 April, 1958, it is charged with providing assistance to and examining matters pertaining to the Church
in Latin America
. The Commission operates under the auspices of the Congregation for Bishops
.
The current President
of the Commission is Cardinal
Marc Ouellet, PSS, in virtue of his position as Prefect
of the Congregation for Bishops
.
on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus
, promulgated by Pope John Paul II
on 28 June 1988, "the function of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America is to be available to the particular Church
es in Latin America, by counsel and by action, taking a keen interest in the questions that affect the life and progress of those Churches; and especially to help the Churches themselves in the solution of those questions, or to be helpful to those dicasteries of the Curia that are involved by reason of their competence."
Dicastery
Dicastery is an Italicism sometimes used in English to refer to the Departments of the Roman Curia....
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...
. Established by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on 19 April, 1958, it is charged with providing assistance to and examining matters pertaining to the Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. The Commission operates under the auspices of the Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
.
The current President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Commission is Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Marc Ouellet, PSS, in virtue of his position as Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of the Congregation for Bishops
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
.
Role
According to Article 83 of the Apostolic ConstitutionApostolic 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...
on the Roman Curia, 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...
, promulgated by 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 ...
on 28 June 1988, "the function of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America is to be available to the particular Church
Particular Church
In Catholic canon law, a Particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop.There are two kinds of particular Churches:# Local particular Churches ...
es in Latin America, by counsel and by action, taking a keen interest in the questions that affect the life and progress of those Churches; and especially to help the Churches themselves in the solution of those questions, or to be helpful to those dicasteries of the Curia that are involved by reason of their competence."
Current structure
- President: CardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Marc Ouellet, PSS - Vice-President: Marcelo Sánchez SorondoMarcelo Sánchez SorondoMarcelo Sánchez Sorondo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 8 September 1942. He was ordained a priest on 7 December 1968 in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. At the St. Thomas Aquinas University of Rome he was awarded a Ph.D...
- Secretary: Guzmán Carriquiry
List of Presidents of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
- Marcello MimmiMarcello MimmiMarcello Mimmi was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Naples from 1952 to 1957, and Secretary of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation from 1957 until his death...
(1958 – 1961) - Carlo Confalonieri (1961 – 1967)
- Antonio Samoré (1967 – 1983)
- Carlo Confalonieri (1969 – 1973)
- Sebastiano Baggio (1973 – 1984)
- Bernardin Gantin (1984 – 1998)
- Lucas Moreira NevesLucas Moreira NevesLucas Moreira Neves O.P. was a Brazilian Cardinal Bishop and Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.Neves was born in São João del Rei, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. He was ordained a priest on 9 July 1950...
, OPDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(1998 – 2000) - Giovanni Battista Re (2000 - 2010)
- Marc Ouellet, PSS (2010 - )