Catholic Church. Congregatio Consistorialis

This congregation derives its title from the Consistory, or College of Cardinals, since its chief duty has been to prepare matters, by examination and discussion, for the Consistory.

Among the congregations founded by the constitution Immensa aeterni Dei (22 Jan 1588), Sixtus V gave third place to the Congregatio pro Erectione Ecclesiarum et Provisionibus Consistorialibus. The congregation was charged with preparing the acts regarding decisions for the formal approval of the cardinals. A second task assigned to it was transacting all business that related to the governanec of the dioceses not under the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith. Its title was changed twice almost immediately: first to Congregatio Rebus Consistorialibus Praeposita, and then more simply to Congregatio Consistorialis.

Gregory XIV (constitution Onus apostolicae servitutis, May 15,1591) specifically charged the congregation with handling the informative process on the moral and intellectual qualifications of candidates for vacant episcopal sees and bringing the results of the individual inquiries before the commission of cardinals, leaving it to the pope to pronounce on the matters definitively. Shortly after the death of its founder, the Consistorial Congregation began to decline in importance as many of its original functions were assigned to other departments.

The Congregatio Examinis Episcoporum (ID VATV459-A) was established by Clement VIII in 1592 with the task of defining and researching the qualifications of candidates for episcopal sees.

The Congregatio super Residentia Episcoporum (ID VATV147-A) was erected by Urban VIII in 1636 to regulate the residency of bishops for their pastoral work.

Innocent XI (1676-1689) instituted the Congregazione sopra l'Elezione dei Vescovi, which, after various modifications, fell into disuse. The congregation was reestablished by Benedict XIV (constitution Ad apostolicae servitutis, Oct. 17, 1740) under the name Congregatio Particularis super Promovendis ad Archiepiscopatus et Episcopatus, absorbing all the functions assigned to Clement VIII's earlier Congregatio Examinis Episcoporum; it was reactivated for the third time by Leo XIII's constitution Immortalis memoriae (Sept. 21, 1878), which conferred on it the same functions but limited its task to the appointment of bishops for the dioceses of Italy. In 1900 it assumed the name Commissio Cardinalitia de Eligendis Episcopis Italiae, but was suppressed by Pius X in 1903.

The Congregatio Extraordinaria Praeposita Negotiis Ecclesiasticis Orbis Caholici (ID VATV417-A) (constitution, Pius VII, 18 Jun 1814) had already assumed the appointment of bishops for episcopal sees outside of Italy and in missionary territory. Thus it was inevitable that the original congregation would fall into disuse with the passage of time.

The successive institution of these similar congregations had absorbed every function that had originally been given to the Consistorial Congregation. There remained for it no other task, in definition, than that of receiving the names of bishops-designate, preparing their acts for the secret Consistory, and examining requests for the imposition of the pallium and some purely honorary privileges.

Pius X's apostolic letter Romanis Pontificibus (17 Dec 1903) stated that henceforth the procedure for electing bishops for all countries, except those subject to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (ID VATV016-A), or to the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs (VATV019-A), or where the election of bishops was regulated by constitutions or concordats, should be transacted by the Congregation of the Holy Office, not only for Italy, but for other countries also. The same document suppressed Leo XIII's congregation of 1878 and transferred its conpetencies to the Congregation of the Holy Office (ID VATV001-A), giving it exclusive competence over everything relative to the development and promotion of bishops.

Pius X's motu proprio Sacrae Congregationi (May 26, 1906) suppressed the Congregatio super Disciplina Regulari and the Congregatio de Statu Regularium Ordinum. The latter had been reestablished by Pius IX in 1847. Its faculties were later transferred to the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars. With the suppression of that congregation on November 3, 1908, these functions were again transferred to the Consistorial Congregation.

With the reorganization of the Roman Curia by Pius X's Sapienti consilio (29 Jun 1908), the appointment of bishops was returned to the original congregation which was now formally named the Consistorial Congregation; responsibility for diocesan government was also returned to it. Pius X's reform of 1908 also transferred the competencies of the Congregatio super Statu Ecclesiarum (ID VATV150-A) to the Consistorial Congregation.

The actual authority of the Consistorial Congregation is identical in substance with that stated in its original objectives: bishops and dioceses. It is clear that the original document intended to give to the congregation complete authority over all that related to a diocese as a juridical institution, including its establishment and conservation. Thus, the power of electing bishops, and of controlling the seminaries so intimately connected with the future of the dioceses, would rest with this congregation.

This authority included supervision of bishops in regard to the fulfillment of their duties, review of bishops' reports on the state of their churches, announcements of apostolic visitations, review of those previously made and, with the approval of the pope, prescription of necessary or opportune remedies, invitations to bishops to assist at solemn canonizations or other solemn pontifical ceremonies, and supervision of all that concerned the government, discipline, temporal administration, and studies in seminaries. The congregation was also given the power to settle whatever doubts might arise regarding the competence of each of the Roman Congregations.

With Cum omnes catholicos (Aug. 15, 1912), Pius X entrusted to the Consistorial Congregation spiritual assistance to emigrants. However, the care of seminaries, which Sapienti consilio had assigned to it in 1908 as an integral part of diocesan government, was taken from it by Benedict XV's motu proprio Seminaria clericorum (Nov. 4, 1915).

In 1942 Pius XII formally placed the Society of the Apostolate of the Sea under the direction of this congregation; his constitution Exsul Familia (Aug. 1, 1952) gave it responsibility for the spiritual care of emigrants belonging to the Latin rite; Paul VI's motu proprio Pastoralis migratorum cura (Aug. 15, 1969) expanded these responsibilities. Paul VI's apostolic constitution Regimini Ecclesiae universae (Aug. 15, 1967) changed the name of the congregation to Congregatio pro Episcopis, extended its authority to cover all matters relating to the holding of particular councils and those relating to episcopal conferences except in places subject to the Congregation for the Eastern Churches and the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Nations (Propaganda Fide). It also formally attached to the congregation the commissions for emigration, for the apostolate of the sea, of the air, and of nomads.

The records of the Congregatio Consistorialis are collectively considered the records of the "Consistorium." When citing records of this congregation, the series title should always be preceded by that word as, for example, Consistorium: Sedi titolari.

To see a general agency history for the Curia Romana, enter "FIN ID VATV214-A"