On March 21, 2022 the new Apostolic Constitution named Praedicate Evangelium was presented at the Holy See Press Office by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Bishop Marco Mellino, Secretary of the Council of Cardinals, and Professor Gianfranco Ghirlanda, SJ, Professor Emeritus at the Pontifical Gregorian University’s Faculty of Canon Law.

Two days before, on Saturday, March 19, on the day of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis proclaimed officially the text of the Apostolic Constitution. The new Apostolic Constitution will enter into force on June 5, 2022.

The new Constitution of Vatican appears after many years of preparations and wide discussions, as the drafting process had started during the first months of Pope Francis’ pontificate. The Constitution consists of 250 articles being more comprehensive than the previous Costituzione apostolica issued by Pope John Paul II which encompassed 193 articles. The new Apostolic Constitution significantly transforms organization of the Vatican state and regulates innovatively a number of issues considering the Curia functioning. It is apparent that the novelties introduced by the new Apostolic Constitution will be a topic of forthcoming discussions.