Considerations on Three Juridical-Organizational Developments of the Roman Curia after Pastor Bonus

Abstract

The reform of the Roman Curia in progress faces today’s pastoral challenges but also some transformations of the Church and society, which have gradually shown some weaknesses of the model outlined in the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus (1988). Three phenomena of change are analyzed in this note: from the legal equality of the Dicasteries to the diversification of the resources that are to be allocated; from the theological convenience of the Episcopate, to the predominance of the status of Cardinals; from the separationto the progressive interconnection relationships between the Roman Curia and the Vatican City State.