New structure for Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

By Vatican News

A press briefing at the Holy See Press Office on Thursday revealed a new organizational make-up and mission of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development that reflects directives issued by Pope Francis in the new Apostolic Constitution, Praedicate Evangelium.

The Constitution entrusts the Dicastery, headed by Cardinal Michael Czerny, with the objective to “promote the human person and their God-given dignity, human rights, health, justice and peace” in all areas of public and social existence, in “the common home entrusted to our one human family.”

After the first five years of experience since it was established by Pope Francis in 2017, a  thorough evaluation was carried out with the aim of reconfiguring the Dicastery.

Presenting the changes made at an organizational level, Cardinal Czerny and the Dicastery’s Secretary, Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, said that their task is to listen, dialogue and reflect in a synodal manner in an effort to serve integral human development by feeding the results back to the particular Churches that deal with the promotion, protection and full development of God’s people.

They explained that the Dicastery staff is now organized in three program sections:

-       Listening-Dialogue: the two-way bridge with the local Church and its various ministries promoting integral human development

-       Research-Reflection: to the challenges are applied the many needed disciplines and Catholic social teaching in search of responses

-       Communication-Restitution: tangible useful results are formulated, restored to the “field” and shared in wider communication.

Thus, three support teams have been appointed:

-       General Secretariat

-       Evaluation and Planning

-       Administration and General Services