Dicastery for Bishops

Dicastery of the Roman Curia

Also known as: Dikasterium für die Bischöfe (Deutsch) / Dicasterio para los Obispos (español) / Dicastère des évêques (français) / Dicastero per i Vescovi (Italiano) / Dykasteria ds. Biskupów (polski) / Dicastério para os Bispos (Português) / 主教部 (中文) / 司教省 (日本語) / 주교성 (한국어) / Dicasterium pro Episcopis (latine)

Address: Palazzo della Congregazioni, Piazza Pio XII, 10, 00193 Roma, Italy

Phone: 06.69.88.42.17

Website:

History

1588.01.22: Established as Sacred Consistorial Congregation (English) / Congregation for the Erection of Churches and for Consistorial Provisions (English) / Hl. Konsistorialkongregation (Deutsch) / Sagrada Congregacíon Consistorial (español) / Sacrée Congrégation Consistoriale (français) / Congregazione per l’erezione delle Chiese e le Provviste concistoriali (Italiano) / Sacra Congregazione Concistoriale (Italiano) / S. Congregação Consistorial (Português) / 御前會議部 (正體中文) / 教區部 (正體中文) / 교구성성 (한국어) / S. Congregatio Consistorialis (latine) / S. Congregatio pro erectione ecclesiarum et provisionibus consistorialibus (latine)
1925.06.20: Branched to create Pontifical Commission for Russia
1967.08.01: Renamed as Sacred Congregation for Bishops (English) / Hl. Kongregation für die Bischöfe (Deutsch) / S. Congregazione per i Vescovi (Italiano) / S. Congregatio pro Episcopis (latine)
1984: Renamed as Congregation for Bishops (English) / Kongregation für die Bischöfe (Deutsch) / Congregación para los Obispos (español) / Congrégation des évêques (français) / Congregazione per i Vescovi (Italiano) / Kongregacja ds. Biskupów (polski) / 主教部 (中文) / 司教省 (日本語) / 주교성 (한국어) / Congregação para os Bispos (Português) / Congregatio pro Episcopis (latine)
2022.06.05: Promoted as Dicastery for Bishops (English) / Dikasterium für die Bischöfe (Deutsch) / Dicasterio para los Obispos (español) / Dicastère des évêques (français) / Dicastero per i Vescovi (Italiano) / Dykasteria ds. Biskupów (polski) / Dicastério para os Bispos (Português) / 主教部 (中文) / 司教省 (日本語) / 주교성 (한국어) / Dicasterium pro Episcopis (latine)

Documents: (x 23)

Associated Organizations

Pontifical Commission for Latin America

Present Officials

Prefect (2025.09.26 [2025.10.15] – ...):

Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm. (67)

President of Pontifical Commission for Latin America

President of Interdicastery Commission for the Revision of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia

Secretary of Commission for Confidential Matters

Member of College for the review of appeals by clergy accused of delicta reservata

Archbishop ad personam

Bishop emeritus of Sora–Aquino–Pontecorvo (Italy)

Secretary (2013.10.12 – ...):

Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari (66)

Titular Archbishop of Caput Cilla

Vice-Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera

Secretary of College of Cardinals

Undersecretary (2023.06.29 – ...):

Msgr. Ivan Kovač (47)

Priest of Mostar–Duvno (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Chaplain of His Holiness

Past Officials

Prefect:	Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A. (70) (later Pope Leo XIV) (2023.01.30 – 2025.05.08)
Prefect:	Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S. (81) (2010.06.30 – 2023.04.12)
Prefect:	Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (91) (2000.09.16 – 2010.06.30)
Prefect:	Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, O.P. (1998.06.25 – 2000.09.16)
Prefect:	Cardinal Bernardin Gantin (1984.04.08 – 1998.06.25)
Prefect:	Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio (1973.02.26 – 1984.04.08)
Prefect:	Cardinal Carlo Confalonieri (1967.08.15 – 1973.02.25)
Prefect:	Saint Pope Paul VI (1963.06.21 – 1967.08.15)
Prefect:	Saint Pope John XXIII (1958.10.28 – 1963.06.03)
Prefect:	Pope Pius XII (1939.03.02 – 1958.10.09)
Prefect:	Pope Pius XI (1922.02.06 – 1939.02.10)
Prefect:	Pope Benedict XV (1914.09.03 – 1922.01.22)
Prefect:	Saint Pope Pius X (1903.08.04 – 1914.08.20)
Prefect:	Cardinal Francesco Saverio De Zelada (1800? – 1801.12.19)
Pro-Prefect:	Cardinal Carlo Confalonieri (1965 – 1967.08.15)
Assessor:	Archbishop Francesco Carpino (later Cardinal) (1961.01.19 – 1965)
Assessor:	Archbishop Giuseppe Antonio Ferretto (later Cardinal) (1950.06.27 – 1961.01.16)
Assessor:	Msgr. Benedetto Renzoni (1943 – 1950)
Assessor:	Msgr. Vincenzo Santoro (1930.07.03 – 1943.05.21)
Assessor:	Archbishop Raffaello Carlo Rossi, O.C.D. (later Cardinal) (1923.06.07 – 1930.06.30)
Assessor:	Msgr. Luigi Sincero (later Cardinal) (1920.10.12 – 1923.05.23)
Assessor:	Archbishop Vincent Sardi di Rivisondoli (1916? – 1920.08.12)
Assessor:	Archbishop Tommaso Pio Boggiani, O.P. (later Cardinal) (1914.07.07 – 1916.12.04)
Assessor:	Msgr. Scipione Tecchi (later Cardinal) (1908.10.24 – 1914.05.25)
Secretary:	Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri (85) (later Cardinal) (2012.01.11 – 2013.09.21)
Secretary:	Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro (87) (later Cardinal) (2009.07.03 – 2012.01.05)
Secretary:	Archbishop Francesco Monterisi (91) (later Cardinal) (1998.03.07 – 2009.07.03)
Secretary:	Archbishop Jorge María Mejía (later Cardinal) (1994.03.05 – 1998.03.07)
Secretary:	Archbishop Justin Francis Rigali (90) (later Cardinal) (1989.12.21 – 1994.01.25)
Secretary:	Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re (91) (later Cardinal) (1987.10.09 – 1989.12.12)
Secretary:	Archbishop Lucas Moreira Neves, O.P. (later Cardinal) (1979.10.15 – 1987.07.09)
Secretary:	Archbishop Ernesto Civardi (later Cardinal) (1967.05.17 – 1979.06.30)
Secretary:	Archbishop Francesco Carpino (later Cardinal) (1965 – 1967.04.07)
Secretary:	Cardinal Carlo Confalonieri (1961.03.14 – 1965)
Secretary:	Cardinal Marcello Mimmi (1957.12.15 – 1961.03.06)
Secretary:	Cardinal Adeodato Giovanni Piazza, O.C.D. (1948.10.01 – 1957.11.30)
Secretary:	Cardinal Raffaello Carlo Rossi, O.C.D. (1930.07.04 – 1948.09.17)
Secretary:	Cardinal Carlo Perosi (1928.11.01 – 1930.02.22)
Secretary:	Cardinal Gaetano De Lai (1908.10.20 – 1928.10.24)
Secretary:	Archbishop Rafael Merry del Val y Zulueta (later Cardinal) (1903.07.21 – 1903.11.09)
Secretary:	Patriarch Carlo Nocella (later Cardinal) (1892.03.21 – 1903.06.22)
Secretary:	Cardinal Carmine Gori-Merosi (1882.03.30 – 1886.09.15)
Secretary:	Msgr. Pietro Lasagni (later Cardinal) (1875 – 1882.03.27)
Secretary:	Msgr. Paolo Polidori (later Cardinal) (1823.10 – 1834.06.23)
Secretary:	Msgr. Raffaele Mazio (later Cardinal) (1818.04.06 – 1824.12.28)
Secretary:	Msgr. Domenico Riviera (later Cardinal) (1710.02.19 – 1730.07.24)
Pro-Secretary:	Cardinal Carlo Perosi (1928.02.10 – 1928.11.01)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Udo Breitbach (64) (2012.01.25 – 2023.09)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Giovanni Maria Rossi (1993.05.08 – 2011.10)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Silvio Padoin (later Bishop) (1990 – 1993.05.08)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Marcello Costalunga (later Archbishop) (1979 – 1990.12.10)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Jozef Tomko (later Cardinal) (1974 – 1979.07.12)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Goffredo Mariani (1967 – 1979.07.12)
Undersecretary:	Msgr. Ernesto Civardi (later Cardinal) (1965 – 1967.05.17)
Adjunct Undersecretary:	Msgr. Serge Poitras Patrick (76) (later Bishop) (2010.12.29 – 2012.11.10)
Bureau Chief:	Msgr. Fabio Fabene (66) (later Archbishop) (2010.04.24 – 2014.02.08)
Bureau Chief:	Msgr. Udo Breitbach (64) (? – 2012.01.25)
Bureau Chief:	Msgr. Janusz Bogusław Stepnowski (67) (later Bishop) (? – 2011.11.11)
Bureau Chief:	Msgr. Rafael Biernaski (69) (later Bishop) (2008.09.24 – 2010.02.10)
Bureau Chief:	Msgr. José María Yanguas Sanz (77) (later Bishop) (2001.10.06 – 2005.12.23)
Bureau Chief:	Msgr. Michele Castoro (later Archbishop) (1996 – 2005.05.14)

Last updated on 2025.10.06