POPE FRANCIS

STATUTES OF THE DICASTERY
FOR PROMOTING INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Article 1

Name

§1. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development expresses the Holy See’s concern for issues of justice and peace, including those related to migration, health, charitable works and the care of creation.

§2. The Dicastery promotes integral human development in the light of the Gospel and in the tradition of the Church’s social teachings. To this end, it maintains relations with the Conferences of Bishops, offering them its cooperation so that values related to justice and peace as well as the care of creation may be promoted.

§3. The Dicastery also expresses the Holy Father’s care for suffering humanity, including the needy, the sick and the excluded, and pays special attention to the needs and issues of those who are forced to flee their homeland, the stateless, the marginalized, victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters, the imprisoned, the unemployed, victims of contemporary forms of slavery and torture, and others whose dignity is endangered.

§4. A Section of the Dicastery deals specifically with matters regarding refugees and migrants. This section is temporarily placed (ad tempus) under the direction of the Supreme Pontiff, who will oversee it in the manner he deems appropriate.

Article 2

Structure

§1. The Dicastery is headed by a Prefect, assisted by a Secretary and at least one Undersecretary; these may be members of lay faithful.

§2. The Dicastery has its own Members, among whom are lay faithful engaged in the various fields of expertise of the Dicastery. They are selected from the different regions of the world, so that the universal character of the Church may be expressed.

§3. The Dicastery has its own Consultors and Officials, also from different parts of the world.

§4. The Dicasteryfollows all the norms established for the Roman Curia.

Article 3

Task, Mission, Activities

§1. The Dicastery studies the social teaching of the Church and works to make it widely known and implemented, and so that social, economic and political relations are increasingly imbued with the spirit of the Gospel.

§2. The Dicastery collects information and research in the areas of justice and peace, the development of peoples, the promotion and defence of human dignity and human rights, such as rights pertaining to work, including that of minors; the phenomenon of migration and the exploitation of migrants; human trafficking and enslavement; imprisonment, torture and capital punishment; disarmament and arms control as well as armed conflicts and their effects on the civilian population and the natural environment (humanitarian law). It evaluates these data and informs the episcopal agencies of the conclusions drawn, so that they may intervene directly where appropriate.

§3. The Dicastery strives to ensure that local Churches provide effective and appropriate assistance both material and spiritual – if necessary also by means of suitable pastoral structures – to the sick, refugees, exiles, migrants, the stateless, circus workers, nomads and other itinerant populations.

§4. The Dicasteryencourages and coordinates initiatives of Catholic institutions committed to respecting the dignity of every person and affirming the values of justice and peace, and to helping people in need, especially those institutions that help respond to the most pressing needs including disaster relief.

§5. In fulfilling its mission, the Dicastery may establish relationships with associations, institutes and non-governmental organizations, including those outside the Catholic Church, who are committed to promoting justice and peace. It may also enter into discussion with representatives of civil governments and other international public institutions, in order to promote study, deepen knowledge, and  public awareness regarding matters within its competence, while respecting the competencies of other offices of the Roman Curia.

§6. The Dicastery is committed to fostering among peoples: sensitivity for peace, commitment to justice and solidarity with those who are most vulnerable such as migrants and refugees, particularly through the celebrations of the World Day of Peace, the World Day of Migrants, the World Day of the Sick.

Article 4

Relationship to Members of the Curia and related Offices

§ 1. The Dicastery works in close collaboration with the Secretariat of State, mutually respecting the other’s competence. The Secretariat of State has exclusive competence over matters affecting relations with States and with other international public institutions.

§2. The Dicastery maintains a close relationship with the Secretariat of State especially with regard to its public statements, through documents or declarations, on matters relating to relations with civil governments and other international public institutions.

§3. The Dicastery collaborates with the Secretariat of State also by participating in the Delegations of the Holy See in intergovernmental meetings concerning matters within the Dicastery’s competence.

§4. The Dicasterymaintains a close relationship with the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, with due regard for its Statutes.

§5. Within the Dicastery, the Commission for Charity, the Commission for Ecology and the Commission for Health Care Workers are established, each operating according to its norms. They are headed by the Prefect of the same Dicastery, who convenes them whenever it is deemed fitting or necessary.

§6. The Dicastery is competent with regard to Caritas Internationalis, in accord with its Statutes.

Article 5

Other Organizations

The Dicastery also represents the Holy See with regard to the creation and supervision of international charitable organizations and funds established for the same purpose, as set forth in their respective Statutes and within the overall context of the legislation in force.

The present Statutes are approved ad experimentum. I hereby decree that they be promulgated by publication in L'Osservatore Romano and subsequently in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, taking effect on 1 January 2017. From that date on, the respective functions of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”, the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People and the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health Care Workers will cease and those Councils will be considered suppressed, and articles 142-153 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus will likewise be abrogated.

Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 17 August 2016

FRANCIS