The prefect is Cardinal  Claudio Gugerotti  and the secretary is Archbishop  Michel Jalakh, OAM .

Historical overview

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII established the  Congregatio de rebus Graecorum , entrusted with the task of overseeing the lives of Catholics of the Byzantine or Greek rite, as well as promoting the faith among other Eastern Christians. In 1862, Pius IX, within the  Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide , erected the  Congregatio de Propaganda Fide pro negotiis ritus orientalis , with similar responsibilities .

In 1917, Pope Benedict XV, with the Motu proprio  Dei providentis , created the  Congregation for the Oriental Church , and in 1967, Saint Paul VI, with the Apostolic Constitution  Regimini Ecclesiae Universae , changed its name to the  Congregation for the Oriental Churches . In 1964, Saint Paul VI published the decree  Orientalium Ecclesiarum , and in 1990, Saint John Paul II published the Code of Canons for the Oriental Churches. In 2022, Pope Francis, with the Apostolic Constitution  Praedicate Evangelium , changed its name to  the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches .

Among the various magisterial documents, the following are essential for approaching the fascinating world of the Eastern Catholic Churches:

• The Apostolic Letter  Orientalium dignitas  (1895):  With which Leo XIII wished to safeguard the significance of the Eastern traditions for the whole Church.
• The decree  Orientalium Ecclesiarum  (1964):  Document of the Second Vatican Council on the Eastern Catholic Churches.
• The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (1990):  Promulgated by Saint John Paul II.
• The Apostolic Letter  Orientale lumen  (1995):  Published on the occasion of the centenary of the  Orientalium dignitas .

Skills

The Dicastery, according to the Apostolic Constitution  Praedicate evangelium , deals with matters concerning the Eastern Catholic Churches  sui iuris . It is competent in all matters proper to the Eastern Churches that fall under the jurisdiction of the Holy See, such as:

• The structure and organization of the Churches.
• The exercise of the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing.
• People, their status, their rights and duties.

Therefore, it exercises over the eparchies, bishops, clergy, religious and the faithful of the Eastern rite the faculties that the Dicasteries for Divine Worship, for Bishops, for Clergy, for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Catholic Education have over the Latin rite, with some exceptions.

The Dicastery closely follows the communities of Eastern Christian faithful in the  Diaspora . It provides for their spiritual needs through visitors or its own hierarchy where necessary. Furthermore, it has  territorial jurisdiction  over all the faithful (including Latins) in: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey.

The following operate within the Dicastery:

1. Special Commission for the Liturgy.
2. Special Commission for Studies on the Christian East.
3. Special Commission for the Formation of the Clergy and Religious.
4. ROACO (Meeting of Works of Aid to the Eastern Churches):  A committee that brings together agencies from various countries for financial support (construction, scholarships, healthcare). It is chaired by the Prefect.

Finally, it has the task of promoting co-responsibility towards the  Holy Land , by sending the Circular Letter for the Holy Land Collection annually.

To recover the sense of the mystery of the Christian East

Pope Francis emphasized this   (Note: the original text says “Leone XIV”, but due to the context and the date of 2025 it refers to the current Pontiff) when meeting with pastors and the faithful on the occasion of his Jubilee on May 14, 2025:

“The Church needs you! What a great contribution the Christian East can make to us today! How much we need to recover the sense of mystery, so alive in its liturgies… which sing of the beauty of salvation!”

The Pope urged these Churches to continue being an “example” of collegiality. Likewise, before the  ROACO  on June 26, 2025, I have reiterated:

“The Christian East can only be protected if it is loved; and it can only be loved if it is known. […] Eastern Catholics today are no longer distant cousins ​​celebrating unfamiliar rites, but brothers and sisters who, due to forced migrations, live alongside us.”

(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