OFFICES
The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life consists of five offices.
Office I: Promotion and formation
Email: ufficioformazione@vitaconsacrata.va
The first Office promotes all forms of consecrated life, especially the life and activities of individual Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as well as their Unions or Conferences, at the international, continental, and national levels.
It promotes and supports initiatives and proposals that, according to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and the Magisterium, contribute to the fullness of consecrated life in the Church.
It oversees the activities of the National and Continental Conferences of Major Superiors, examines their legislation and issues pertaining to their erection and suppression, prepares ad limina visits, and writes instructions for newly appointed Pontifical Representatives, taking into account the various cultural areas.
It coordinates meetings with the "Council of 16" and promotes other international study sessions and meetings.
The Office is responsible for the publication of Sequela Christi, the Dicastery's periodical, and the organization of the Studium, an inter-disciplinary school for formation in ecclesiastical magisterium and canon law pertaining to consecrated life.
Office II Monastic life
Email: vitamonastica@vitaconsacrata.va
The second office deals with matters of male and female monastic life according to proper law. It is competent for the foundation, erection, transfer, merger, and suppression of monasteries.
It oversees the formation, life, and government of monasteries, as well as the approval of their constitutions and statutes. It handles cases related to dispensations from norms of constitutions, requests for anticipation or postponement of novitiate or temporary profession, and similar matters.
It is also competent for the erection, merger, and suppression of associations, conferences, and federations of monasteries, with the aim of fostering unity and cooperation among communities that share a common goal, spirit, and works.
It oversees the life and activities of these bodies by appointing Assistants and ensuring that each monastery fosters contemplative life.
Office III: Ordinary government, life and apostolate
Email: governoistituti@vitaconsacrata.va
The Office supervises the formation, life, government, and apostolate of religious institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life through periodic reports, chapter proceedings, and other information sent to the Dicastery. It approves constitutions and amendments in accordance with the Dicastery's procedure and handles the cases for possible derogations and dispensations.
It is also competent for the administration of temporal goods and other economic matters requiring the intervention of the Apostolic See. This competence also extends to Associations, Federations, Confederations, and Major Superiors' Conferences.
Office IV: Disciplinary office
Email: disciplina@vitaconsacrata.va
The fourth office deals with the extraordinary measures of governance of the ICLSAL, including the appointment of Assistants, Apostolic Visitors, and Pontifical Commissaries in response to problems with the membership of religious institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life.
It deals with requests for extensions of leaves of absence beyond one year or exclaustration beyond five years, disciplinary and penal cases and measures of individual members of religious institutes and societies of apostolic life, pro gratia concessions, i.e. indults of departure, dispensations from particular norms, and dispensations from universal norms, to be decided by the Holy Father.
The Office examines appeals, requests for imposed exclaustration and other general cases.
Office V Approval and regulation of Institutes of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life and new forms - Secular Institutes - Ordo Virginum- - eremitic life
Email:
approvazioneistituti@vitaconsacrata.va
istitutisecolari@vitaconsacrata.va
ordovirginum@vitaconsacrata.va
The fifth Office is in charge of issuing licenses for the diocesan erection of Institutes of Consecrated Life (Religious Institutes, Secular Institutes), and Societies of Apostolic Life, as well as their pontifical approval.
It is responsible for the approval and regulation of new forms of consecrated life, as well as the approval of requests for the erection of public associations of faithful in itinere (with the intent of becoming an Institute of Consecrated Life or Society of Apostolic Life).
It is also competent for the erection and suppression of federations and confederations, as well as the aggregation, union, merger, and suppression of all Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
The Office follows the formation, life, government, and apostolate of secular institutes through periodic reports, proceedings of assemblies, and other information sent to the Dicastery. It approves constitutions in accordance with the Dicastery's procedure, as well as their amendments, and handles the cases for any derogations and dispensations.
Without prejudice to what diocesan bishops are responsible for, the office deals with the Ordo virginum and hermits. Lastly, it handles matters pertaining to Third Orders and associations of the faithful who share the charism of an Institute of Consecrated Life.