Secretariat of State (Holy See)

The Secretariat of State (Latin: Secretaria Status; Italian: Segreteria di Stato) is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It helps the Pope manage the church's work around the world. The leader of this group is called the Cardinal Secretary of State.

This important office handles all the political and diplomatic work for the Holy See. It makes sure the church can talk and work with other countries and groups.

Since 2017, the Secretariat of State has three parts: the Section for General Affairs, the Section for Relations with States, and the Section for Diplomatic Staff. These sections help the church stay organized and connected to the rest of the world.

History of the Secretariat of State

The Secretariat of State has very old beginnings, going back to the 1400s. It started with an important group of secretaries created by a special document in 1487. Over time, new roles were added to help with different kinds of work, especially after a big church meeting called the Council of Trent.

The role of the main secretary changed over the years. In the late 1600s, a new rule made sure that the main secretary was a important church leader and not just a family member of the Pope. In 1908, the work of the Secretariat was split into three parts to handle different jobs better. Later, in 1967, more changes were made to organize its work.

Structure

In 1988, Pope John Paul II made changes to the way the Vatican works. He split the Secretariat of State into two parts: one for general tasks and another for dealing with other countries. Later, in 2017, Pope Francis added a third part to help with diplomatic staff.

The leader of the Secretariat of State is called the Cardinal Secretary of State. This person helps the Pope with important tasks and is often seen as one of the most important people in the Vatican.

Section for General Affairs

The Section for General Affairs helps run the daily work of the Church. It organizes activities, makes important appointments, sends out official messages and documents from the pope, and handles matters from embassies to the Holy See. It also takes care of the pope’s seal and a special ring called the Fisherman’s Ring. This section works with special church representatives, called nuncios, all over the world to support local churches.

The Section for General Affairs is led by an archbishop known as the Substitute for General Affairs. This person helps manage the pope’s schedule and is one of the few who can see the pope without an appointment. There have been many Substitutes since 1953, each serving for a few years before moving on to other roles. The Substitute also has a deputy called the Assessor for General Affairs, who helps with daily tasks and supports the Substitute in their work.

Section for Relations with States

Further information: Section for Relations with States

The Section for Relations with States helps the Holy See work with governments around the world. It started a long time ago when there were big changes in France. Over the years, its name changed a few times, and now it helps the Holy See talk to other countries and take part in big meetings like the United Nations.

This section is led by an Archbishop who works closely with the Secretary of State. The team includes special helpers and church leaders. They help make important decisions about church leaders in countries that have special agreements with the Holy See.

Section for Diplomatic Staff

In 2017, Pope Francis created a new part of the Secretariat called the Section for Diplomatic Staff. This section helps manage the people who represent the Holy See around the world. It started working on November 9, 2017.

At first, Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawłowski led this section, and then Archbishop Luciano Russo took over in 2022. In 2022, this section became part of the official organization of the Roman Curia, as described in the document Praedicate evangelium.