Pontifical Council for Culture

Last updated

Pontifical Council for Culture
Pontificium Consilium de Cultura
Successor Dicastery for Culture and Education
Established20 May 1982 (1982-05-20)
Founder Pope John Paul II
Founded at Vatican City
Dissolved5 June 2022 (2022-06-05)
Merger of Pontifical Council for Dialogue with non-Believers
Purposeto promote dialogue with other cultures
to promote the study of unbelief and of religious indifference
Parent organization
 Roman Curia
Website www.cultura.va/content/cultura/en.html
[1] [2] [3]

The Pontifical Council for Culture (Latin : Pontificium Consilium de Cultura) was a dicastery of the Roman Curia charged with fostering the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. It was erected by Pope John Paul II on 20 May 1982 [1] and in 1993 he merged the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers, which had operated independently since 1965 into it. [2] When the Apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium promulgated by Pope Francis took effect on 5 June 2022, the Pontifical Council for Culture was merged with the Congregation for Catholic Education to create the new Dicastery for Culture and Education. [3]

Contents

Function

Following on the emphasis placed by the Second Vatican Council [4] and by Pope Paul VI [5] on the importance of culture for the full development of the human person, the Pontifical Council was established to foster the relationship between the Gospel and cultures, and to study the phenomenon of indifference in matters of religion. It also fosters relationships between the Holy See and exponents of the world of culture and promotes dialogue with the various contemporary cultures. [2] [6]

The Council has two sections: the Faith and Culture section concentrates on the work the Council did before the Council for Non-Believers was merged with it, while the Dialogue with Cultures section continues the work of the latter Council, [2] establishing dialogue with those who do not believe in God or profess no religion, but who are open to genuine cooperation. [2]

The Council cooperates with episcopal conferences, universities and international organizations such as UNESCO with regard to its field of interest.[ citation needed ]

The permanent staff at the Council's headquarters consists of little more than a dozen people, including the President (currently Gianfranco Ravasi, the Secretary and the Under-Secretary. The Council has a slightly larger number of members, who are usually cardinals and bishops appointed by the Pope for five-year terms, who come together for the three-yearly plenary assemblies to evaluate the day-to-day running of the Council and to consider matters of special importance. The Pope also appoints consultors, who are yet more numerous (priests, religious, and laity predominate in this group), who can be called on at any time for advice and assistance. [7]

Activities

Under the Council's patronage, Liana Marabini launched the International Catholic Film Festival known as "Mirabile Dictu", an independent film festival to promote films covering Roman Catholic topics. The event has been held annually since 2010 in Rome. [8] [9]

The Council organized the Vatican participation in the Venice Biennale in May 2013. Instead of restricting itself to religious art, it asked artists to produce works on the theme "Creation, De-Creation and Re-Creation" in order to "create an atmosphere of dialogue between art and faith". Artists included Studio Azzurro, a Milan-based art collective that produces interactive videos, Czech photographer Josef Koudelka, and abstract painter Lawrence Carroll. [10]

On 19 December 2015, Paul Tighe was appointed the Council's first Adjunct Secretary. [11]

In March 2017, the Council announced the creation of a Feminine Consultation within he Pontifical Council for Culture, with 37 women chosen from a mix of nationalities, religions, professions, political views, and marital status. Ravasi said: "the function of these women is a real function, they are called to express judgments; they have already criticized me on some proposals and have put forward others! For instance, in connection with the forthcoming Plenary Assembly of the dicastery, on neuroscience, artificial intelligence, genetics, robotics, information technology, etc. on all these issues these women have expressed–as scientists and as women–judgments that we would be unable to formulate." [12] [13]

With the Cura Foundation, the Science Theology and the Ontological Quest, and the Stem for Life Foundation, the Council sponsored the Unite to Cure Conference, which met 26–28 April 2018. Under the heading "How Science, Technology and 21st-Century Medicine Will Impact Culture and Society", scientists, government officials, philanthropists, ethicists and faith leaders discussed advances in medical technology and environmental protection and their implications for religion and society. [14]

The Council is also responsible for the Vatican Cricket Team. [15]

Presidents of the Pontifical Council for Culture

Related Research Articles

The Roman Curia comprises the administrative institutions of the Holy See and the central body through which the affairs of the Roman Catholic Church are conducted. The Roman Curia is the institution which the Roman Pontiff ordinarily makes use of in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office and universal mission in the world: thus curialism refers traditionally to an emphasis on the supreme authority of the Holy See within the Catholic Church. It is at the service of the Pope, successor of Apostle Peter and of the Bishops, successors of the Apostles, according to the modalities that are proper to the nature of each one, fulfilling their function with an evangelical spirit, working for the good and at the service of communion, unity and edification of the Universal Church and attending to the demands of the world in which the Church is called to fulfill its duty and mission.

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, previously named Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), is a dicastery of the Roman Curia, erected by Pope Paul VI on 19 May 1964 as the Secretariat for Non-Christians, and renamed by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Poupard</span> French prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1930)

Paul Joseph Jean Poupard is a French prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a Cardinal since 1985. He held positions in the Roman Curia for more than 25 years, serving as President of the Pontifical Council for Culture from 1988 to 2007 and briefly as President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See. The Secretariat is divided into three sections: the Section for General Affairs, the Section for Relations with States, and, since 2017, the Section for Diplomatic Staff.

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace was a pontifical council of the Roman Curia dedicated to "action-oriented studies" for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church. To this end, it cooperated with various religious institutes and advocacy groups, as well as scholarly, ecumenical, and international organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Laffitte</span> French prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1952)

Jean Clément Marie Gérard Joseph Françoise Georges Laffitte is a French prelate of the Catholic Church. A bishop since 2009, he has had an academic career and served in several positions in the Roman Curia. He has been Prelate of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta since 4 July 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincenzo Paglia</span> Italian catholic archbishop

Vincenzo Paglia is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and grand chancellor of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences.

The Pontifical Biblical Commission is a pontifical commission established within the Roman Curia to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of the Bible.

Pastor bonus is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988. It instituted a number of reforms in the process of running the central government of the Catholic Church.

Brian Farrell LC is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity from 2002 until 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianfranco Ravasi</span> Italian prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1942)

Gianfranco Ravasi is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and a biblical scholar. A cardinal since 2010, he was President of the Pontifical Council for Culture from 2007 to 2022. He headed Milan's Ambrosian Library from 1989 to 2007.

The Pontifical Academy for Life or Pontificia Accademia per la Vita is a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic. It also does related research on bioethics and Catholic moral theology. The academy was founded in 1994. Its members are selected by the pope and are to represent different branches of biomedical sciences to promote the Church's life ethic.

The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, previously named the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), is a dicastery within the Holy See whose origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962 to 1965.

The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, also translated as Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, was a pontifical council of the Roman Curia whose creation was announced by Pope Benedict XVI at vespers on 28 June 2010, eve of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, to carry out the New Evangelization. On 5 June 2022, the department was merged into the Dicastery for Evangelization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Tighe</span> Irish prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1958)

Paul Desmond Tighe is an Irish Catholic prelate who has served as Secretary of the Section of Culture of the Dicastery for Culture and Education since 2022. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Drivastum by Pope Francis in 2016.

The Pontifical Academy of Theology is a learned society founded in 1718, and is a Pontifical Academy. It is situated at Via della Conciliazione, Vatican City, Rome.

The Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life is a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Pope Francis announced its creation on 15 August 2016, effective 1 September 2016. It took over the functions and responsibilities of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. It has responsibility "for the promotion of the life and apostolate of the lay faithful, for the pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God's plan and for the protection and support of human life."

Praedicate evangelium is an apostolic constitution reforming the Roman Curia and was published and promulgated on 19 March 2022 by Pope Francis; the document took effect on 5 June 2022.

The Dicastery for Culture and Education is an administrative unit of the Roman Curia. It began operations on 5 June 2022 as established by the apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium promulgated on 19 March 2022. It was formed through the merger of two earlier bodies, the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Congregation for Catholic Education.

References

  1. 1 2 John Paul II, Pope (20 May 1982). "Letter of foundation". cultura.va. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 John Paul II, Pope (25 March 1993). "Inde a Pontificatus". vatican.va. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 "The Dicastery for Culture and Education". Vatican News. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Gaudium et Spes, chapter II. The proper development of culture
  5. ↑ Pope Paul VI (8 December 1975). "Evangelii Nuntiandi". Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  6. ↑ Pontifical Council for Culture, Profile
  7. ↑ Annuario Pontificio 2009
  8. ↑ staff. "Mirabile Dictu - International Catholic Film Festival". Mirabile Dictu. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Catholic 'Oscars' announce their nominees". Rome Reports. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  10. ↑ Donadio, Rachel (14 May 2013). "New Entrant to Venice Biennale: the Vatican". New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  11. ↑ O'Connell, Gerard (19 December 2015). "Pope Appoints Msgr. Paul Tighe as Bishop and Adjunct-Secretary to the Pontifical Council for Culture". America . Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Lubov, Deborah Casetellano (9 March 2017). "Interview: Cardinal Ravasi: 'Finally a Feminine Voice in the Roman Curia'". Zenit. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  13. ↑ Lubov, Deborah Casetellano (7 March 2017). "Presentation of 'Revolutionary' Vatican's Women's Consultation Group". Zenit. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  14. ↑ Bunson, Matthew E. (2 May 2018). "When Worlds of Faith and Science Collide". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "Vatican cricket team heads overseas for interfaith tournament". 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  16. 1 2 "Rinunce e Nomine, 03.09.2007" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 3 September 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.