Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life must progress in following Christ as the Gospel proposes, according to their own charism born of the spirit of their founder and sound traditions. They must contribute effectively to building up the Church and its mission in the world. It is within this perspective that the mission of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life unfolds, its origins dating back to the foundation, by Sixtus V in 1586, of the  Sacred Congregation over Regular Consultatives .

The Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is Sister Simona Brambilla, MC; the Pro-Prefect is Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB; and the Secretary is Sister Tiziana Merletti, SFP

Competencies

The Dicastery’s directives are manifold. As emphasized in the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia,  Praedicate Evangelium , it is the responsibility of this body to approve Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, to erect them, and also to grant the license for the validity of the erection of an Institute of Consecrated Life or a Society of Apostolic Life of diocesan right by the Bishop

Furthermore, the Dicastery is responsible for the mergers, unions, and suppressions of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It is also within the Dicastery’s purview to approve and regulate new forms of consecrated life distinct from those already recognized by law. Likewise, it is its task to establish and suppress unions, confederations, and federations of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Other competition issues

The Dicastery also deals with matters pertaining to the Apostolic See relating to the life and activity of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, in particular the approval of Constitutions and their modifications, ordinary governance and the discipline of members.

It also deals with the incorporation and formation of members, including through specific rules and guidelines; temporal goods and their administration; the apostolate; and extraordinary measures of governance.

This Dicastery also has other prerogatives under the law, including the transfer of a member to another approved form of consecrated life and the examination of appeals against the decree of expulsion of members.

Furthermore, the Dicastery is responsible for establishing international conferences of major superiors, approving their statutes, and ensuring that their activities are aligned with their respective purposes. The eremitic life and the  Ordo Virginum  are forms of consecrated life and, as such, fall under the Dicastery’s jurisdiction. Its competence also extends to Third Orders and associations of the faithful established with a view to becoming Institutes of Consecrated Life or Societies of Apostolic Life.

Structure: Five Offices

The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is composed of five offices

• The first office  promotes, in particular, the life and activities of the various Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as well as their Unions or Conferences at the international, continental, and national levels. It supports proposals and initiatives that, according to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and the Magisterium, contribute to living the consecrated life fully within the Church.
• The second office  deals with monastic life, both male and female, according to its own legislation. It is competent for the foundation, erection, transfer, merger, and suppression of monasteries, as well as for everything related to their ordinary and extraordinary governance.
• The third office  deals with matters relating to the life, apostolate, and ordinary governance of the various religious institutes and societies of apostolic life, according to their own legislation, as well as matters related to the administration of their assets. It examines periodic reports, takes an interest in the ordinary and extraordinary assemblies of the various religious families, and handles matters relating to the election of superiors during general chapters.
• The fourth office  deals with exceptional governance measures; in particular, it addresses issues related to the appointment of Assistants, Apostolic Visitors, and Pontifical Commissioners. It also handles irregular situations of members of religious institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life.
• The fifth office  deals with granting diocesan licenses for the erection of Institutes of Consecrated Life (religious and secular institutes) and Societies of Apostolic Life, as well as their pontifical approval. It is responsible for the approval and regulation of new forms of consecrated life and grants approval to applications for the erection of public associations of the faithful with a view to becoming Institutes of Consecrated Life or Societies of Apostolic Life. Furthermore, it is competent for the erection and suppression of federations or confederations, as well as for the aggregation, union, merger, and suppression of all Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. This office oversees the formation, life, governance, and apostolate of secular institutes; it deals with the  Ordo virginum  and hermits; and is also responsible for matters relating to Third Orders or associations of the faithful who participate in the charism of an Institute of Consecrated Life.

New Life

Consecrated life is new life, a life that is renewed each day in the encounter with Christ, in fidelity to prayer, to fraternal charity, to poverty, and to service to the poor

It is a prophetic vision in the Church: a gaze that sees God present in the world and a voice that proclaims his love in the situations, even difficult ones, of history.

(Translation made 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