Curia Romana (Latin)

Japanese: 教皇庁 - きょうこうちょう（英語表記）Curia Romana ラテン語

The Holy See is the central authority that assists the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, and governs the entire Catholic Church. It is also the executive branch of the Vatican City State.

Its origins lie in the selection of assistants to the Pope from among the clergy living in Rome, and in the 11th century, that role was eventually taken on by cardinals. The authority and rules of this College of Cardinals were clarified, and various institutions for church governance were established, forming the prototype of the current Papacy. In particular, the reorganization by Pope Sixtus V in the 16th century was important in the history of the development of the Papacy, and the system of the Holy Office headed by a cardinal was maintained as the basic structure for a long time thereafter. The reorganization by Pope Pius X in the early 20th century, which reorganized the Holy Office and reorganized the courts and secretariat, was confirmed by the 1917 Code of Canon Law, and set the basic line for the next half century. In 1967, after the Second Vatican Council, the organization was "modernized" by Pope Paul VI, and further reorganized by Pope John Paul II, resulting in the following structure:

[Umezu Hisashi]

State Department

It was previously the last of the various offices, but the reforms of Pope Paul VI made it the head of the Vatican, and since 1988 it has been divided into a Secretariat of General Affairs and a Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. The Secretariat is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, whose duties are to supervise all of the Vatican's institutions in accordance with the will of the Pope, and also to be in charge of diplomatic relations.

[Umezu Hisashi]

Ministry

There are nine central administrative departments, each headed by a cardinal: (1) Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (corresponding to the former Congregation of Inquisitions, but whose focus has shifted from examining heresies to encouraging the faith); (2) Congregation for the Eastern Churches; (3) Congregation for Bishops (corresponding to the former Congregation of Dioceses and Congregations of Cardinals); (4) Congregation for Divine Liturgy and Sacraments (formed by merging the former Congregations of Divine Liturgy and Sacraments); (5) Congregation for the Causes of Saints; (6) Congregation for the Clergy (corresponding to the former Congregation of Ecumenical Councils); (7) Congregation for Societies of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life; (8) Congregation for Education; and (9) Congregation for the Evangelization of People.

[Umezu Hisashi]

court

The Pope has supreme judicial power and is assisted by a Supreme Court, a Court of Appeal (Rota), and a Court of Penitence.

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Secretariat

Among the various offices responsible for the practical aspects of the secretariat, the former Office of the Secretary and Office of the Chief Seal have been abolished, and since 1988 the Finance Bureau, the Accounting Bureau (Secretariat for the Papal Interregnum), and the Administration Bureau have been established.

In addition to these departments, new councils have been established, such as the Lay Council, the Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Interreligious Council, the Council for Justice and Peace, the Council for the Family, the Council for Promoting Development Aid, the Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants, the Council for the Medical Apostolate, the Council for the Interpretation of Legal Texts, the Council for Culture, and the Council for Public Information, demonstrating the Church's attitude of responding to the needs of the times.

[Umezu Hisashi]

"Vatican City" by P. Poupard, translated by Konami Yoshiko (1979, Chuo Shuppansha)" ▽ "New Catholic Encyclopedia" edited by the New Catholic Encyclopedia Editorial Committee of Sophia University (1996-, Kenkyusha)" ▽ "Encyclopedia of the Pope" by Matthew Banson, translated by Nagasaki Keiko and Nagasaki Asako (2000, Sankosha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

法王庁、聖庁ともいう。カトリック教会の首長たるローマ教皇を補佐して、全カトリック教会を統治する中央機関。同時にバチカン市国の行政府でもある。

　その起源は、ローマ在住の聖職者のなかから教皇の補佐役が選ばれたところにあり、やがて11世紀にはその役割は枢機卿(すうききょう)が担うところとなった。この枢機卿会の権限や規則が明確化され、教会統治のための諸機関が設けられたところに、現在の教皇庁の原型が形成された。とくに16世紀のシクストゥス5世による組織の整備は教皇庁の発展史上重要であり、そこで定められた枢機卿を長とする聖省の制度は、その後長い間、基本的機構として保たれてきた。20世紀初頭のピウス10世による改組は、聖省を整理統合し、裁判所と事務局を整理するもので、1917年の教会法典により確認され、その後の半世紀間の基本線を定めた。第二バチカン公会議後の1967年にはパウルス6世（パウロ6世）により機構が「現代化」され、さらにヨハネ・パウロ2世（ヨハネス・パウルス2世）による改組により、次のような機構となった。

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国務省

従来は諸官署の末尾に位置づけられていたものであるが、パウルス6世の改革により教皇庁機構の筆頭にあげられ、1988年以降は内部を総務局と外務局に分けた。省の長は国務長官枢機卿であり、その任務は、教皇の意を体して教皇庁全機構を統率することにあり、また外交関係もつかさどる。

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省

枢機卿を長官とする次の9省が中央行政機関として置かれている。(1)教理省（従来の検邪聖省にあたるが、その任務の重点は、異説・異端の審査から信仰の奨励へと移されている）。(2)東方教会省。(3)司教省（従来の教区聖省、枢機卿会議聖省にあたる）。(4)典礼・秘蹟(ひせき)省（典礼、秘蹟の2省が合併して成立した）。(5)列聖省。(6)聖職者省（従来の公会議聖省にあたる）。(7)奉献・使徒的生活会省。(8)教育省。(9)福音宣教省。

［梅津尚志］