At the service of the work of evangelization so that Christ, the light of the nations, may be known and witnessed to in word and deed, and so that the Church, his mystical body, may be built up. This is the mission of the Dicastery for Evangelization, defined in the Apostolic Constitution  Praedicate Evangelium  of 2022.

It consists of  two sections :

• The section for the fundamental issues of evangelization in the world.
• The section for the first evangelization and the new particular Churches, which deals with the evangelization of peoples and the creation of Churches within the newly evangelized peoples.

It is presided over directly by the Pope, with two pro-prefects, one for each section. Archbishop Rino Fisichella presides for the first section, while Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle presides for the second (the section for initial evangelization).

Historical notes

The  first section  inherited the competencies of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, established on September 21, 2010, by Pope Benedict XVI through the motu proprio  Ubicumque et semper . With the subsequent motu proprio of January 2013,  Fides per Doctrinam , Benedict XVI transferred the competence for catechesis from the Congregation for the Clergy to the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

In 2012-2013, the Pontifical Council oversaw the organization of the Year of Faith, initiated by Benedict XVI, and the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016, convoked by Pope Francis. Similarly, in 2025, the First Section is conducting the Ordinary Jubilee dedicated to the theme of Hope. Finally, with the motu proprio of February 2017,  Sanctuarium in Ecclesia , Francis transferred to this same Pontifical Council the responsibilities for the development, promotion, and protection of shrines, which previously belonged to the Congregation for the Clergy.

The  second section  assumed the responsibilities of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, whose origins date back more than 400 years. Indeed, on January 6, 1622, Pope Gregory XV established the Congregation  for the Propagation of the Faith  as the central and supreme body for the propagation of the faith with a twofold task: to seek the union of the Orthodox and Protestant Churches, and to promote and organize the mission among non-Christians.

With the Apostolic Constitution  Regimini Ecclesiae universae  of 1967, Pope Paul VI changed the name of the dicastery to Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples or “De Propaganda Fide”, and with the Apostolic Constitution  Pastor Bonus  of John Paul II, in 1988, it became simply called Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

With the Apostolic Constitution  Praedicate Evangelium  of Pope Francis, in 2022, the new Dicastery for Evangelization inherited the competencies of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

Skills

According to the regulations of  Praedicate Evangelium , the Dicastery is competent for matters of evangelization in the world and for the erection, accompaniment and support of new particular Churches, without prejudice to the competence of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

First Section: Fundamental Issues of Evangelization in the World

It is the task of this section to study the fundamental issues of evangelization and the development of an effective proclamation of the Gospel, first identifying the cultural context in order to then find the appropriate forms, instruments and language.

• Inculturation and popular piety:  It supports the particular Churches in the process of inculturation of the Gospel in the various cultures and ethnicities, and pays special attention to popular piety.
• Shrines:  This section is responsible for the establishment and approval of the statutes of international shrines. Furthermore, in collaboration with local churches, it promotes an integrated pastoral approach to shrines as centers for ongoing evangelization.
• Global initiatives:  Since evangelization involves a fundamental option for the poor, it organizes the World Day of the Poor. It also coordinates initiatives for the entire universal Church, such as “24 Hours for the Lord” and the Sunday of the Word of God, and has jurisdiction over the study and dissemination of Sacred Scripture.
• Catechesis:  This office is competent in catechesis directed to the baptized who live a daily Christian life, to those who need to deepen their understanding of the teaching they have received, and to those who have abandoned the faith or no longer profess it. It oversees the accuracy of catechetical teaching and promotes catechetical formation; furthermore, it grants confirmation from the Apostolic See for catechisms written by local churches.
• Mission and Dialogue:  It promotes the formation and pastoral work of the Missionaries of Mercy and the missionary work of every baptized person through prayer, witness, and good works. As a means of evangelization, the Section fosters and supports opportunities for encounter and dialogue with members of other religions and with those who profess no religion.

Second Section: First evangelization and new particular Churches

This section supports the proclamation of the Gospel and the deepening of the life of faith in the territories of initial evangelization. It deals with everything concerning the erection of ecclesiastical circumscriptions or their modifications, as well as their provision (appointment of bishops), and fulfills other tasks analogous to those carried out by the Dicastery for Bishops within its sphere of competence.

• Growth and Vocations:  It supports the new particular Churches in the work of initial evangelization and their growth. It collaborates with bishops, Episcopal Conferences, Institutes of Consecrated Life, and Societies of Apostolic Life to foster missionary vocations and in the formation of clergy and catechists in the territories under the Dicastery’s jurisdiction.
• Cooperation and exchange:  It promotes the exchange of experiences within the new particular Churches and between these and the Churches established for a longer period. To increase missionary cooperation, the Section accompanies the new particular Churches toward economic autonomy and helps them to establish the necessary funds for their support.
• Visits and relations:  He is in charge of the five-yearly relations and the  “ad limina Apostolorum” visits  of these local Churches entrusted to his care.
• Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS):  The Pontifical Mission Societies (the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood and the Pontifical Missionary Union) are entrusted to him as instruments to promote the missionary responsibility of every baptized person and to support the new particular Churches.

The assets allocated to the missions are managed through a special office, headed by the deputy secretary of the Section, without prejudice to the obligation to report to the Secretariat for the Economy.

(Translation made while maintaining fidelity to the original text published in  Vatican News  )

1. State Secretariat
2. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
3. Dicastery for Bishops
4. Dicastery for the Clergy
5. Dicastery for the Service of Charity
6. Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
7. Dicastery for the Causes of Saints
8. The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
9. Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
10. Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
11. Dicastery for Communication
12. Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life
13. Dicastery for the Oriental Churches
14. Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
15. Dicastery for Evangelization