| The Roman Congregations |
|---|
| The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith | Looks after Catholic doctrine (the beliefs that the Church teaches) |
| The Congregation for the Oriental Churches | Keeps in touch with the Eastern Catholic Churches |
| The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments | In charge of Catholic liturgy (the way Catholics worship) |
| The Congregation for the Causes of Saints | Controls the process of declaring someone a saint |
| The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples | In charge of missionary work |
| The Congregation for the Clergy | Looks after priests and deacons who are not in a religious order |
| The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life | Looks after members of religious orders (like Benedictine monks and Carmelite nuns) |
| Congregation for Catholic Education (in Seminaries and Institutes of Study) | Oversees Catholic education in schools, universities, and seminaries (places were priests are trained) |
| The Congregation for Bishops | Helps choose new bishops |
| The Tribunals |
| The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary | The Supreme Court for issues that have to do with forgiveness of sin |
| The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura | The Supreme Court for other matters (like the annulment of marriage) |
| The Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota | The highest appeals court in the Roman Catholic Church |
| The Pontifical Councils |
| The Pontifical Council for the Laity | Helps the Pope in dealings with ordinary Catholics ("laity" are people who are not priests or clergy) |
| The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity | Arranges working with other Churches and promotes ecumenism |
| The Pontifical Council for the Family | Promotes the care, rights, and dignity of families |
| The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace | Works for justice, peace, and human rights |
| The Pontifical Council Cor Unum | Does humanitarian relief work after disasters; encourages charity; and is in charge of other Catholic organizations that do these things |
| The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants | Looks after the religious needs of migrants, refugees, exiles, and people without homes |
| The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers | Looks after the religious needs of health care workers |
| The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts | Interprets the Church's laws when there is a question about what they mean |
| The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue | Encourages different religious groups to study each other's religions, think, and talk together |
| The Pontifical Council for Culture | Tries to create good relationships between the Catholic Church and people of different cultures |
| The Pontifical Council for Social Communications | In charge of using the media to spread the Gospel. |
| The Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization | In charge of spreading Catholicism in places where it is common, but religion is getting less popular |
| The Synod |
| The Synod of Bishops | A group of Bishops chosen to advise the Pope |
| The Offices |
| The Apostolic Camera | The Church's central board of finance |
| The Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See | Manages and deals the Holy See's properties |
| The Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See | Manages the financial investments and budget of Vatican City and the Roman Catholic Church (except the Vatican Bank) |
| Council for the Economy | Supervises the financial activities of all of Vatican City, including the Holy See and the Roman Curia |
| The Office of the Auditor General | Audits the Roman Curia and the government of Vatican City (for example, to make sure no fraud is happening) |
| The Pontifical Commissions |
| The Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church | Guards the art, books, papers, and other important things in the Church's libraries and archives |
| The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology | Protects ancient Catholic cemeteries and monuments in Rome |
| The Pontifical Biblical Commission | Made of Bible scholars who interpret the Bible and answer questions that come up about it |
| The International Theological Commission | Helps the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith answer important questions about Catholic doctrine |
| The Interdicasterial Commission for the Catechism of the Catholic Church | A temporary commission set up to translate the Church's Catechism into Latin |
| The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei | Looks after the religious care of certain clergy and laity, with the goal of ending a disagreement in the Church |
| The Pontifical Commission for Latin America | Looks after the Church in Latin America |
| The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors | Makes sure children are safe in the Church |
| Other institutions |
| The Swiss Guard | Guard the Apostolic Palace, the entrances to the Vatican City, and the Pope, and keep them safe |
| The Pontifical Academies | There are ten academies in which leading teachers and scientists help to advise the Pope |
| The Labour Office | In charge of keeping good relationships with the people who work at the Vatican, and solving problems when workers are unhappy |
|
