Organizational Premises for the Reform of the Roman Curia

Abstract

The text addresses some ecclesiological premises, organization and juridical-canonical principles that must be considered no matter what kind of option the Legislator will decide upon in order to reform the Roman Curia, starting from the model based upon the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus which, at this present time, continues to have juridical and ecclesiological validity as the general framework. From the considered premises then follow concrete organizational and juridical directions: the technical means to translate the postulates of “communio ecclesiarum” and “synodality” into organization and work; the ways of achieving coordination and spontaneous cooperation among dicasteries; the formulas to respect the competences entrusted to each; the possibilities and limitations of the grouping together of dicasteries, etc. Demands for decentralization are evaluated realistically, taking into account the effective possibilities of each episcopate, since often the present situation is not a consequence of centralization but rather of needs for substitution. The main dysfunctions of the Curia, however, found explanations rather in the “working methods” and the insufficient self-monitoring of more significant dicasteries. Therefore, the objectives of the reform should aim primarily at the personal attitudes of those who work there and at the collegial, open and collaborative methodologies of work.