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Dicastery for Bishops

Department of the Roman Curia

Field	Value
name	Dicastery for Bishops
type	Dicastery
seal	Emblem of the Holy See usual.svg
seal_size	100px
seal_caption	Coat of arms of the Holy See
picture	Via della Conciliazione din Roma1.jpg
picture_caption	Palazzo delle Congregazioni in Piazza Pio XII (in front of St. Peter's Square) is the workplace for most congregations of the Roman Curia
website
agency_type	Dicastery
formed
preceding1	Congregation for the Erection of Churches and Consistorial Provisions
preceding2	Congregation for Bishops
headquarters	Palazzo delle Congregazioni, Piazza Pio XII, Rome, Italy
chief1_name	Filippo Iannone
chief1_position
Prefect
chief2_name	Ilson de Jesus Montanari
chief2_position
Secretary

Prefect Secretary

The Dicastery for Bishops, formerly named Congregation for Bishops (), is the department of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church that oversees the selection of most new bishops. Its proposals require papal approval to take effect, but are usually followed. The Dicastery also schedules the visits at five-year intervals ("ad limina") that bishops are required to make to Rome, when they meet with the pope and various departments of the Curia. It also manages the formation of new dioceses. It is one of the more influential Dicasteries, since it strongly influences the human resources policy of the church.

The jurisdiction of the Dicastery does not extend to mission territories, under the Dicastery for Evangelization, or areas managed by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches (which has responsibility for all Eastern Catholics, and for Latin Catholics in the Middle East and Greece). Where appointment of bishops and changes in diocesan boundaries require consultation with civil governments, the Secretariat of State has primary responsibility, but must consult the Dicastery for Bishops. The Dicastery also have oversight of investigations into allegations of abuse and negligence by bishops.

The Dicastery for Bishops has jurisdiction over the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and the dicastery's prefect also serves as the commission's president.

History

The Dicastery for Bishops has its origins in the "Congregation for the Erection of Churches and Consistorial Provisions" founded by Pope Sixtus V on 22 January 1588. Before the Second Vatican Council, when the pope announced the names of new cardinals at a Secret Consistory, that is, a consistory that only churchmen attended, the names of new cardinals would be read out, followed by those of archbishops and bishops. The name was changed from the Sacred Consistorial Congregation to the Congregation for Bishops in 1967.

Between 30 June 2010 and 2023, its Prefect was Cardinal Marc Ouellet. Between 2023 and 8 May 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost (who would become Pope Leo XIV) was its Prefect.

On 13 July 2022, Pope Francis appointed women as members of this Dicastery for the first time, two religious and one laywoman (Raffaella Petrini, Yvonne Reungoat, and María Lía Zervino).

Current procedure

The Dicastery's members who live in Rome meet every other Thursday for an entire morning. Appointments for four dioceses are reviewed in a typical session. Before the meeting, dicastery members are sent documentation on the candidates for each diocese. At the meeting, one member takes the role of the presenter (ponente), reviews the information and makes his own recommendation from the list (terna) of three candidates. Each member, in order of seniority, offers his assessment. The Dicastery's recommendations, including any doubts, questions or minority opinions, are sent to the pope. He usually approves the dicastery's decision, but may choose to send it back for further discussion and evaluation. The prefect then meets with the pope every Saturday and presents the recommendations of the dicastery. A few days later, the pope informs the dicastery of his decision. The dicastery then notifies the nuncio, who in turn contacts the candidate and asks if he will accept the appointment.

Course of Formation for New Bishops

Every September the Dicastery holds the "Annual Course of Formation for New Bishops", also known as "New Bishop School" and informally "Baby Bishop School". Attendance is mandatory for those ordained in the previous year. Topics are spiritual and practical, from imitating the leadership of Jesus to handling crises. There was a particular focus on "synodality", which was defined as listening and engaging the faithful. The event also encompasses meeting the pope.

There are talks such as on the new media in relation to evangelisation; and the rapport between psychological development and spiritual commitment. There were also talks on administration, canon law, and the reform of the Roman Curia.

Leadership

Pastor Bonus

Secretaries of the Congregation for the Erection of Churches and Consistorial Provisions (1588–1965)

(1710–1730)
Carlo Gaetano Stampa (1735–1737)
Niccola Paracciani Clarelli (1860–1872?)
Carmine Gori-Merosi (1882–1886)
Carlo Nocella (1892–1903)
Gaetano de Lai (1908–1928)
Carlo Perosi (1928–1930)
Raffaele Rossi (1930–1948)
Adeodato Giovanni Piazza (1948–1957)
Marcello Mimmi (1957–1961)
Carlo Confalonieri (1961–1965)

Prefects

In 1965, the head of the congregation took the title prefect, while the prefect's deputy took that of secretary.

Carlo Confalonieri (1965–1973)
Sebastiano Baggio (1973–1984)
Bernardin Gantin (1984–1998)
Lucas Moreira Neves, OP (1998–2000)
Giovanni Battista Re (2000–2010)
Marc Ouellet, PSS (2010–2023)
Robert Francis Prevost, OSA (2023–2025) (elected Pope Leo XIV at the 2025 papal conclave)
Filippo Iannone, OCarm (2025–present)

Secretaries

The secretary of the Dicastery for Bishops is concurrently the secretary of the College of Cardinals. During a papal election the secretary of the Dicastery acts as the secretary to the conclave.

Francesco Carpino (1961–1967)
Ernesto Civardi (1967–1979)
Lucas Moreira Neves, OP (1979–1987)
Giovanni Battista Re (1987–1989)
Justin Francis Rigali (1989–1994)
Jorge María Mejía (1994–1998)
Francesco Monterisi (1998–2009)
Manuel Monteiro de Castro (2009–2012)
Lorenzo Baldisseri (2012–2013)
Ilson de Jesus Montanari (2013–present)

Membership

Members of the Dicastery, as is the general practice in the Roman Curia, are usually appointed for five-year mandates. On 16 December 2013, Pope Francis modified the Congregation's membership. He confirmed 18 of the Congregation's 33 members to continue and appointed 12 new members:

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State
Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefect of the Congregation for Clergy
Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for Religious
Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, Archbishop of Guadalajara (Mexico)
Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez, Archbishop of Bogota (Colombia)
Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha, Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil)
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster (England)
Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago (USA)
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, CSsR, Archbishop of Newark (USA)
Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, Archbishop of Perugia-Citta della Pieve (Italy)
Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź (Poland)
Archbishop Paolo Rabitti, Archbishop Emeritus of Ferrara-Comacchio (Italy)
Bishop Felix Genn, Bishop of Münster (Germany)
Bishop Robert Prevost, OSA, Bishop of Chiclayo (Peru) --

References

"Pastor Bonus, - John Paul II - Apostolic Constitution (June 28, 1988)".
"Pastor Bonus, - John Paul II - Apostolic Constitution (June 28, 1988)".
Condon, Ed. "Robert’s rules: How the new prefect for bishops could reshape the US Church".
(June 5, 2022). "Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, Art 111-112".
(25 January 2012). "Rinunce e Nomine (continuazione), 25.01.2012". Holy See Press Office.
White, Christopher. (13 July 2022). "Pope Francis names three women to Vatican office that recommends new bishops". National Catholic Reporter.
"How Bishops Are Appointed". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
McClory, Reverend Robert J.. (2022-09-18). "“New” Bishop School, Blessed Pope John Paul the First and Pope Francis".
LIVEMass StJude. (2024-08-08). "Evening of Reflection with Cardinal Prevost and Mass".
Barron, Bishop Robert. (2016-09-19). "A Report from Baby Bishop School".
(January 30, 2023). "Resignations and Appointments, 30.01.2023". Holy See Press Office.
(26 September 2025). "El Papa nombra el nuevo Prefecto del Dicasterio para los Obispos y la CAL". Vatican News.
Tornielli, Andrea. (12 October 2013). "Francis appoints a Brazilian to the "bishop factory"". Vatican Insider.
O'Connell, Gerard. (16 December 2013). "Pope Francis makes significant changes in the Congregation for Bishops". Vatican Insider.

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