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Covering the Vatican
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Mass. The Latin phrase in the name means “clear voice.” U.S. members are
Cardinals Francis E. George of Chicago and Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and
Archbishops Alfred C. Hughes of New Orleans and Oscar H. Lipscomb of
Mobile, Ala.
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
This congregation investigates all those being considered for official church rec-
ognition as saints. It makes recommendations to the pope on beatifications and
canonizations and oversees the authentication and preservation of sacred relics.
The prefect is Cardinal Angelo Amato. The secretary is Archbishop
Marcello Bartolucci
.
Phone 06-6988-4247.
Congregation for Bishops
This congregation oversees bishops’ appointments, bishops’ conferences, and
ad limina
visits (official visits to Rome by bishops every five years). Personal
prelatures like Opus Dei, which do not report to a diocesan bishop, and mili-
tary ordinaries (bishops responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics in the
armed forces) also fall under its authority.
The prefect is Cardinal Marc Ouellet. The secretary is Archbishop Ilson de
Jesus Montanari. Phone 06-6988-4217.
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Once called
Propaganda Fide
, or propagation of the faith, the evangelization
congregation coordinates the missionary work of Catholic Church. The office
manages pastoral outreach, charitable activity, fund raising and ministry in
mission territories, which include Africa, most of Asia and Oceania, and dio-
ceses in Latin America, Canada, Alaska, the Balkans and the Caucasus. It also
fulfills in mission territories the functions handled by the congregations for
bishops and clergy in the rest of the Latin Church.
Four pontifical missionary societies operate under the direction of
the evangelization congregation: the Societies of St. Peter Apostle and the
Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood Association, and the Missionary
Union of Priests and Religious. The agencies promote missionary awareness
and support fund raising for the church’s activity in mission lands.
A useful news service, Fides, also operates under the congregation. See
the “Resources” section in this chapter for more information.