Pope Leo XIV Issues Motu Proprio Confirma Fratres Tuos to Reform the Constitution of the Vicariate of Rome

 Pope Leo XIV Updates Constitution of the Vicariate of Rome

Pope Leo XIV has issued the Motu Proprio Confirma Fratres Tuos, updating the Apostolic Constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione  to streamline the administration of the Diocese of Rome. The update builds upon the 2023 reforms introduced by the late Pope Francis, maintaining the diocese's missionary and synodal focus while refining its day-to-day governance.

In the introduction, Pope Leo XIV writes, Strengthen your brothers (cf. Luke 22:32). This is the mission that the Lord Jesus entrusted to the Apostle Peter and which continues in the ministry of his Successors who govern the Church in Rome. The Diocese of Rome, in its unique connection to the Petrine ministry, is called to make particularly visible that ecclesial communion which constitutes both a gift and a task for all the Lord's disciples.

At a time when evangelization requires renewed apostolic impetus and an ever more effective capacity for witness, it appears necessary that ecclesiastical structures also be constantly oriented towards supporting the mission, promoting ecclesial communion and supporting the orderly exercise of the tasks entrusted to those who participate in the life of the Church of Rome.

In this context, the Vicariate of Rome is called to be not only an instrument of ecclesial governance, but also an expression of that missionary communion that must animate every dimension of the life of the Church in Rome.

This is the context for the constant commitment to renewal that has accompanied the evolution of the Vicariate's organization over the years. This journey reached a significant milestone in the Apostolic Constitution In Ecclesiarum Communione , promulgated by my venerable Predecessor Pope Francis on January 6, 2023, which outlined a new institutional structure aimed at making the pastoral service of the Diocese of Rome more effective and strengthening its missionary outreach.

The experience gained in applying this Apostolic Constitution and attentive listening to the needs that have emerged in the pastoral life of the Diocese have, however, suggested the opportunity to proceed with a further review of certain provisions, so that the Vicariate's legal and organizational instruments can increasingly correspond to the ecclesial purposes they are called to serve.

What’s Changing:

• The Cardinal Vicar: Retains supreme authority as head of the Vicariate and ordinary judge.

• The Moderator Curiae: A new five-year papal appointment tasked with managing administrative offices.

• Clergy Appointments: Updated guidelines for selecting parish and assistant priests.

• Consultation: The Episcopal Council shifts to a permanent advisory role to assist the Cardinal Vicar.

• Oversight: The Independent Supervisory Commission's rules have been revised, with specific details deferred to a separate regulation.

How the New Rules will be enforced: 

• • Governance Clarification: The Cardinal Vicar's role as the head of the Vicariate and ordinary judge is officially confirmed.

• New Administrative Oversight: Coordination of the Vicariate’s offices and administrative structure is now entrusted to a moderator curiae, appointed by the Pope for a five-year term.

• Greater Co-responsibility: The document explicitly emphasizes the role of the lay faithful in participating in the Church's mission.

• Structural Refinements: The Episcopal Council is redefined as a permanent consultative body, and procedures for appointing parish priests have been clarified.

The structural foundations, tribunals, and offices established in 2023 remain unchanged, with the overall goal of ensuring the Vicariate effectively supports the evangelizing mission of the Church of Rome.

Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-06/pope-leo-xiv-updates-the-constitution-of-the-vicariate-of-rome.html