The Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments

As part of a more general reform of the Roman Curia, Pope St. Pius X (1903-1914), established the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments with the Apostolic Constitution Sapienti Consilio of 29 June 1908. Later, accepting the requests of the Second Vatican Council for a new organization of the Roman Curia, more suited to the needs of the times, Pope St. Paul VI (1963-1978) issued the Apostolic Constitution Regimini Ecclesiae Universae on 15 August 1967. This Constitution changed the competencies and designations of certain Dicasteries, with the intention also of regulating and fostering relations among the various Church bodies.

Articles 54-57 of the Apostolic Constitution Regimini Ecclesiae Universae, established that the Congregation was competent for everything related to the discipline of the seven Sacraments and the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in addition to also having the power to grant dispensations that exceeded the competence of Diocesan Bishops, including the Eucharistic fast of the faithful and priests. It also had responsibility for examining cases of rato e non consummato marriages between a Catholic party and a baptized non-Catholic party, as well as between baptized non-Catholic parties of Latin and Eastern Rites, and also of studying cases for the granting of dispensation. The Sacred Congregation also had the task of studying all acts concerning the obligations attached to major orders and those concerning the validity of Sacred Ordination, and then transmitting them to the competent Tribunal, after hearing the opinion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

However, the specific competence of the Apostolic Signatura remained intact regarding the erection of the Regional and Interregional Tribunals; of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota for cases of nullity of marriage; and of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding matters pertaining to rites, ceremonies, and also the celebration, administration and reception of the Sacraments.