A new constitution to govern the Roman Catholic Church’s bureaucracy was issued by Pope Francis on Saturday, nearly a decade in the making. In the 54-page constitution, baptized lay Catholics, including women, are granted the right to lead departments traditionally led by cardinals, and the pope’s clergy abuse commission is incorporated into the church’s power structure to protect minors.
‘Proclaiming the Gospel’ is the new title of a document that concludes a long process, over the years, of introducing financial and administrative overhauls at the Vatican. This manifests Francis’ focus on a more pastoral and grassroots church, and leaves a tangible mark on the church’s workings. Francis’ election in 2013 was motivated by his desire to reform the sometimes out-of-touch Roman Curia, which governs a church of 1.3 billion faithful.
Francis selected top cardinals to draft the document, which was released on the ninth anniversary of his election as pope. In its preamble, it explicitly states ‘the pope, bishops, and other ordained ministers are not the only evangelizes in the church,’ creating roles and responsibilities for Catholic laypeople. Another section, called ‘Principles’, states that the pope may appoint any Catholic he deems qualified to lead a Vatican office.
Experts are of the opinion that the church’s bishop and clergy departments, which supervise bishops throughout the world, would still need men as leaders because only men would be able to serve as priests. Francis’ abuse commission is also now located within the powerful doctrinal office that often opposed the panel’s recommendations. The constitution says the new structure will help the church protect minors and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse.
The archbishop of Boston and the president of the commission in question, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, has at times criticized Francis for being tone-deaf and wrong on the issue of abuse. In contrast, the cardinal called the incorporation of his commission into the church government a ‘significant step forward in upgrading the position and mandate of the commission, which can only strengthen safeguarding for the Curia and the entire church’.
On June 5, the constitution signed by Francis on Saturday will go into effect, replacing the ‘Good Shepherd’ charter introduced by Pope John Paul II in 1988. During his major Christmastime addresses, Francis usually hammers the leaders of the Roman Curia for a host of sins, such as being enamored of power and status and being far from the faithful. According to him, the Curia hierarchy is a self-important, ‘ponderous, bureaucratic customs house’ plagued by ‘little intrigues of groups,’ which place the priesthood above parishioners instead of shepherds.
Francis’ vision of the Church is enshrined in the new constitution. It specifies changes to put serving the pope back at the center of the Curia’s mission — ‘Things cannot be done before the head of the curial institution communicates them to the Pontifex Romanus,’ it says at one point — as well as serving bishops and supporting local churches, which Francis views as the lifeblood of the faith.
Vatican offices will continue to be streamlined, but they will also be prioritized. Next in line will be the new Dicastery for Evangelization, which incorporates a previous office that supports the church in developing countries. Another is dedicated to rekindling the faith in countries where Catholics are a minority. It is under the direct control of the pope, assisted by two prefects. Pope Francis has repeatedly attempted to identify his pontificate with the Second Vatican Council, the landmark meeting of bishops in the 1960s that sought to embrace the modern world.
Recently, he has cracked down on traditionalists who use the old Latin rite for Mass. As they undercut the legitimacy of the modern church, Francis saw them as divisive within the church. According to the new constitution, the Dicastery of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments aims to ‘promote the sacred liturgy according to the renewal undertaken by the Second Vatican Council’.
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