Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples 445928 212453926 2008-05-14T21:45:51Z Postdlf 29695 /* History */ [[Image:VasiPropagandaFide.jpg|thumb|right|280px|The headquarters of the ''Propaganda fide'' in Rome, North facade on Piazza di Spagna by architect [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini|Bernini]], the southwest facade seen here by [[Francesco Borromini|Borromini]]: etching by Giuseppe Vasi, 1761 <ref>[http://www.romeartlover.it/Vasi164a.htm]</ref> ]] The '''Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples''' (''Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelisatione'') is the [[congregation (Roman Curia)|congregation]] of the [[Roman Curia]] responsible for [[missionary]] work and related activities. It is perhaps better known by its former title, the '''Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith''' (''Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide''). Renamed by [[Pope John Paul II]] in [[1982]], its mission continues unbroken. The modern term "[[propaganda]]" derives from the name of the Congregation and its mission; the word did not acquire negative connotations until the nationalistic propaganda campaigns of [[World War I]]. ==Architecture== The construction of the palace was begun by [[Gianlorenzo Bernini]], but in 1644, he was substituted by [[Francesco Borromini]]. This building and its chapel are one of Borromini's masterpieces. ==History== Founded in [[1622]] by [[Pope Gregory XV]]'s bull ''Inscrutabili Divinae'', the body was charged with fostering the spread of Catholicism and with the regulation of Catholic ecclesiastical affairs in non-Catholic countries. The intrinsic importance of its duties and the extraordinary extent of its authority and of the territory under its jurisdiction have caused the [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] Prefect of Propaganda to be known as the "red pope". At the time of its inception, the expansion of [[Colonialism|colonial]] administrations was coming to be largely in [[Netherlands|Dutch]] and [[England|English]] hands, both [[Protestant]] countries intent on spreading these religious doctrines and Rome perceived the very real threat of Protestantism spreading in the wake of commercial empire. By [[1648]], with the end of the [[Thirty Years' War]], the official religious balance of established Christianity in Europe was permanently stabilized, but new fields for evangelization were offered by vast regions of [[Asia]], [[Africa]] and [[the Americas]] then being explored. There had already been a less formally instituted cardinal committee concerned with ''propaganda fide'' since the time of [[Pope Gregory XIII]] ([[1572]] - [[1585]]), who were especially charged with promoting the union with Rome of the long-established eastern Christian communities: [[Slavs]], [[Greeks]], [[Demographics of Syria|Syrians]], [[Egyptians]], and [[Abyssinians]]. This was the traditional direction for the Catholic Church to look for evangelizing. [[Catechism]]s were printed in many languages and seminarians sent to places as far as [[Malabar]]. The most concrete result was the union with Rome of the [[Ruthenia]]n Catholic communion, most concentrated in modern day [[Ukraine]] and [[Belarus]]; the union was [[Union of Brest|formalized at Brest]] in [[1508]]. The death of [[Pope Gregory XV|Gregory XV]] the following year did not interrupt the organization, because Cardinal Barberini, one of the original thirteen members of the congregation, became the next pope as [[Pope Urban VIII|Urban VIII]] ([[1623]]-[[1644]]). Under Urban VIII, a central seminary (the ''Collegium urbanum'') was set up for training missionaries. The Congregation also operated the polyglot printing press in Rome, printing catechisms in many languages. Their procurators were especially active in [[China]] from [[1705]], moving between [[Macau]] and [[Guangzhou|Canton]] before finally settling in [[Hong Kong]] in [[1842]]. In strongly Protestant areas, the operations of the Congregation were considered subversive: the first missionary to be killed was in [[Grisons]], [[Switzerland]], in April [[1622]], before the papal bull authorizing its creation had been disseminated. These "Cardinals in General Congregation" met weekly, keeping their records in [[Latin]] until [[1657]], then in [[Italian language|Italian]]. The minutes are available in microfilm (filling 84 reels) at large libraries. In the course of their work, the ''Propaganda fide'' missionaries accumulated the objects now in the [[Vatican Museum]]'s Ethnological Missionary Museum. Since [[1989]] the incumbent Prefect is also President of the [[Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious]]. On [[6 May]] [[2006]] [[Carlo Cardinal Caffarra]] was named a member of the Congregation. ==Prefects== * [[Antonio Maria Cardinal Sauli]] ([[1622]]) * [[Ludovico Cardinal Ludovisi]] ([[1622]]-[[1632]]) * [[Antonio Marcello Cardinal Barberini]] ([[1632]]-[[1671]]) * [[Paluzzo Cardinal Paluzzi Altieri Degli Albertoni]] ([[1671]]-[[1698]]) * [[Carlo Cardinal Barberini]] ([[1698]]-[[1704]]) * [[Giuseppe Cardinal Sacripanti]] ([[1704]]-[[1727]]) * [[Vincenzo Cardinal Petra]] ([[1727]]-[[1747]]) * [[Silvio Valenti Gonzaga|Silvio Cardinal Valenti Gonzaga]] ([[1747]]-[[1756]]) * [[Giuseppe Cardinal Spinelli]] ([[1756]]-[[1763]]) * [[Giuseppe Maria Cardinal Castelli]] ([[1763]]-[[1780]]) * [[Leonardo Cardinal Antonelli]] ([[1780]]-[[1795]]) * [[Giacinto Cardinal Sigismondo Gerdil]] ([[1795]]-[[1802]]) * [[Stefano Cardinal Borgia]] (pro-prefect [[1798]]-[[1800]], prefect [[1802]]-[[1804]]) * [[Antonio Cardinal Dugnani]] ([[1804]]-[[1805]]) * [[Michele Cardinal di Pietro]] ([[1805]]-[[1814]]) * [[Lorenzo Cardinal Litta]] ([[1814]]-[[1818]]) * [[Francesco Cardinal Fontana]] ([[1818]]-[[1822]]) * [[Ercole Cardinal Consalvi]] (pro-prefect [[1822]]-[[1824]], prefect [[1824]]) * [[Giulio Maria Cardinal della Somaglia]] (pro-prefect [[1824]]-[[1826]]) * [[Mauro Cardinal Capellari]] ([[1826]]-[[1831]]) * [[Carlo Maria Cardinal Pedicini]] ([[1831]]-[[1834]]) * [[Filippo Cardinal Fransoni]] ([[1834]]-[[1856]]) * [[Allesandro Cardinal Barnabò]] ([[1856]]-[[1874]]) * [[Alessandro Cardinal Franchi]] ([[1874]]-[[1878]]) * [[Giovanni Cardinal Simeoni]] ([[1878]]-[[1892]]) * [[Mieczysław Halka Ledóchowski]] ([[1892]]-[[1902]]) * [[Girolamo Maria Cardinal Gotti]] ([[1902]]-[[1916]]) * [[Domenico Cardinal Serafini]] (pro-prefect [[1916]], prefect [[1916]]-[[1918]]) * [[Willem Cardinal van Rossum|Willem Marinus Cardinal van Rossum]] ([[1918]]-[[1932]]) * [[Pietro Fumasoni Biondi|Pietro Cardinal Fumasoni Biondi]] ([[1933]]-[[1960]]) * [[Samuel Cardinal Stritch]] (pro-prefect [[1958]]) * [[Grégoire-Pierre Cardinal Agagianian]] (pro-prefect [[1958]]-[[1960]], prefect [[1960]]-[[1970]]) * [[Agnelo Cardinal Rossi]] ([[1970]]-[[1984]]) * [[Dermot J. Ryan]] (pro-prefect [[1984]]-[[1985]]) * [[Jozef Cardinal Tomko]] (pro-prefect 1985, prefect [[1985]]-[[2001]]) * [[Crescenzio Cardinal Sepe]] (2001-2006) * [[Ivan Cardinal Dias]] (2006- ) ==External links== *[http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/romancuria/d08.htm Giga-Catholic Information] *[http://archives1.archives.nd.edu/propfide.htm Notre Dame University site gives history of the Propaganda Fide, with details of its organization] *[http://www.romeartlover.it/Vasi164a.htm the Collegio di Propaganda Fide]: photos and history *[http://www.fides.org/ita/index.html Official Propaganda Fide website] *[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Rome+Italy&ll=41.904082,12.483902&spn=0.004946,0.012618&t=k&hl=en| Satellite Photo]. The Collegio is the large rhomboidal block buildings that lie just south of the Spanish steps (narrow tip and [[Bernini]] facade facing northeast to [[Piazza di Spagna]]). *{{CathEncy|wstitle=Sacred Congregation of Propaganda}} [[Category:Roman Catholic missionary work]] [[Category:Curial Congregations]] [[Category:1622 establishments]] [[Category:Religious organizations established in the 1620s]] [[Category:Propaganda organisations]] [[de:Kongregation für die Evangelisierung der Völker]] [[el:Propaganda Fide]] [[es:Congregación para la Evangelización de los Pueblos]] [[fr:Congrégation pour l'évangélisation des peuples]] [[hr:Kongregacija za evangelizaciju naroda]] [[it:Congregazione per l'Evangelizzazione dei Popoli]] [[la:Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelizatione]] [[nl:Congregatie voor de Evangelisatie van de Volkeren]] [[no:Kongregasjonen for folkenes evangelisering]] [[pl:Kongregacja ds. Ewangelizacji Narodów]] [[pt:Congregação para a Evangelização dos Povos]] [[ro:Congregatio de Propaganda Fide]] [[ru:Конгрегация евангелизации народов]] [[sv:Propaganda fide]] [[zh:傳信部]]