Rome – The Dicastery for Evangelization is called to accompany, support and collaborate with the new particular Churches, “whilst respecting their rightful autonomy”. This was emphasized by Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, speaking this morning, Thursday 3 September, at the formation course for the new Bishops of the territories overseen by the missionary Dicastery.
The first day of the course, attended by participants at the Pontifical College of St Peter the Apostle, began with a Eucharistic concelebration presided over by Cardinal Tagle himself in the College chapel.
In his address, which focused on the theme “The service of the Dicastery to the New Particular Churches”, the Cardinal outlined the tasks, structures and activities of the Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches, whilst also highlighting the Dicastery’s expectations of the Pastors of the Churches entrusted to its jurisdiction.
The missionary conversion of the Curia
Cardinal Tagle began by referring to the reform of the Roman Curia established by Pope Francis through the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, promulgated on 19 March 2022 and which came into force on 5 June of the same year. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is now called the Dicastery for Evangelization. The new Dicastery, born from the merger of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples with the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.
The Dicastery is made up of two Sections: one for the fundamental questions regarding evangelization in the world, and one for the first evangelization and new particular Churches in the territories under its competence. The distinctive feature is that the Prefect of this Dicastery is the Pope himself.
Whilst expressly affirming that the bodies of the Roman Curia are “all juridically equal among themselves”, Praedicate Evangelium places the Dicastery for Evangelization first among the Dicasteries. A choice which, as Cardinal Tagle observed, highlights “the missionary orientation that permeates the reform of the Roman Curia”: the proclamation of the Gospel and service of the Church’s evangelizing mission are placed “at the heart of the Curia’s service to the Roman Pontiff and to the universal Church”.
Accompanying the young Churches
The Section for First Evangelization is at the service of the new particular Churches and its specific purpose is missionary activity and the establishment of Churches among newly evangelized peoples. From the “seed of the Word of God”, indigenous particular Churches are born and develop, called to reach maturity. Quoting Article 61 of Praedicate Evangelium, the Cardinal recalled that the Section “supports the proclamation of the Gospel and the deepening of the life of faith in territories of first evangelization” and is responsible, amongst other things, for the establishment or modification of ecclesiastical circumscriptions and their provision.
In the relationship between the Roman Curia and the local Churches, he added, a new ecclesial and missionary awareness is emerging. The new particular Churches have become capable of assuming their own responsibilities in pastoral ministry and governance. For this reason, the role of the Dicastery is “to accompany, support and collaborate with them, while respecting their legitimate autonomy”. Missionary activity does not end with the establishment and organization of the local Churches. “Even once these stages have been completed, the Church’s missionary activity does not cease,” emphasized Cardinal Tagle, referring to the conciliar decree Ad gentes. Indeed, the Bishops and local Episcopal Conferences are the primary agents responsible for the mission.
The Churches in mission territories
In his address, the Pro-Prefect cited statistical data of the Holy See as of 31 December 2023: out of a world population of 7,914,582,000 people, there were 1,405,454,000 Catholics, an overall increase of 15,881,000 compared with the previous year. The increase in the number of Catholics is recorded across all five continents, but it is most pronounced in Africa, with an increase of 8,309,000 faithful, and in the Americas, with 5,668,000. These were followed by Asia, with 954,000 more Catholics, Europe, with 740,000, and Oceania, with 210,000.
According to Cardinal Tagle, this data shows that the most significant increase in the Catholic population is taking place in the missionary world. “The initial proclamation remains both an urgent priority and a pressingnecessity,” he stated, adding that the rapid growth of the Church in Africa requires “further efforts to deepen the faith”.
Between 2024 and 2026, ten new Ecclesiastical Circumscriptions were established in the territories dependent on the Dicastery: seven in Africa, two in Asia and one in mainland China. There are a total of 1,129 circumscriptions under the jurisdiction of the Dicastery: 529 in Africa, 483 in Asia, 71 in the Americas and 46 in Oceania. Furthermore, from July 2025 to early August 2026, 78 Bishops were appointed in the territories under the Dicastery’s jurisdiction.
Formation and support for the mission
The Dicastery’s service also covers the pastoral care of vocations, the formation of diocesan clergy, seminaries and the appointment of rectors, religious and consecrated life, the apostolate of catechists and the life of the lay faithful. In the territories under its jurisdiction, the Dicastery promotes the establishment of seminaries and oversees their functioning; it collaborates with the Episcopal Conferences in the establishment of interdiocesan and National Seminaries. It is also within the Dicastery’s competence to study and approve the Ratio Nationalis prepared by the individual Episcopal Conferences in the mission territories.
Cardinal Tagle also highlighted the work of the Pontifical Colleges in Rome, for the formation of priests and seminarians from mission countries. Each year, the Dicastery welcomes more than 200 new students into its various Colleges, granting them, following a careful selection process, scholarships for studies in the various fields offered by the Pontifical Urbaniana University or by other Pontifical Universities in Rome. The Pontifical Urbaniana University, he added, is characterized by a specific missionary identity. In the 2025–2026 academic year, it has 1,130 students, 41 permanent lecturers and 42 visiting or guest lecturers. Its four faculties – Philosophy, Theology, Canon Law and Missiology – are affiliated to 97 higher institutes of formation in 40 countries. Through the Pontifical Society of St Peter the Apostle, the Cardinal noted, the Dicastery contributes to the formation of novices, including through financial support. The formation of catechists and support for local Churches are also key areas of the Dicastery’s work. Through the Pontifical Mission Societies, an annual subsidy is provided to dioceses to support catechists.
Listening, dialogue and collaboration
In the concluding part of his address, Cardinal Tagle outlined the principle that should guide the relationship between the Dicastery and the new particular Churches. The Roman Curia, he said, “does not have all the answers”, rather it must “listen to and welcome the experiences and initiatives that come from the particular Churches”, so that they may be shared at the level of the universal Church. In this way during the ad limina visits, the participation of all in the life of the universal Church is fostered. The Dicastery, the Pro-Prefect explained, has certain expectations of the Bishops of the territories under its jurisdiction. The Dicastery expects to receive information, proposals, and suggestions concerning the life of the Church, in order to improve its services.
The bishops are also invited to “seek the Dicastery’s opinions and advice on difficult issues or on new initiatives that are being undertaken”. The Apostolic Nunciature remains “the preferred means of communication”. “I therefore encourage you, dear Brother bishops, to cultivate a dialogical relationship with our Dicastery,” concluded Cardinal Tagle.
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