2020, Vol. 21, No. 2 (81) ISSN 2451-1617 The Evolution of the Holy See’s Institutions for Order in Media Against the Background of Changes in Its System (1948–2018) Wojciech Jakubowski University of Warsaw
[email protected] ORCID: 0000-0003-2832-611X ABSTRACT Scientifi c objective: To characterize the genesis of the institutions of the Holy See in the years 1948–2018, competent in media matters, against the background of changes in the Roman Curia’s system; showing the institutional evolution of the “media department”—from the Papal Commission established ad experimentum by the Council, having the status of an expert and promotional dicastery1, to the dicastery with rights analogous to the congregation. Research method: Historical and normative analysis based on papal legislation and the literature on the subject. Results and conclusions: The analysis led to the conclusion that a feature of the changes was the systematic raising of the rank of institutions competent in matters of media and their functional and organizational integration. Cognitive value: The paper addresses the problem of tradition and modernization of the constitution of the Holy See’s primary organs, of which the Curia’s reform project initiated by Pope Francis and implemented since 2014 is a key element. This thread is a relatively new and little recognized subject of scientifi c analysis. KEYWORDS Dicastery for Communications, Roman Curia, Pontifi cal Council for Social Communications, Holy See, Communications 1 Dicastery (Latin: dicasterium)—a group of supreme governing bodies of the Church, composed of various types of institutions (congregations, tribunals, councils, offi ces).