The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the dicastery (from, from δικαστής, 'judge, juror') of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the sacraments. Prior to June 2022, the dicastery was officially named the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (only the first word being different). This former name has often been shortened to Congregation for Divine Worship, further abbreviated as Divine Worship or CDW.

History of related dicasteries

List of accorded responsibilities

The Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus, issued by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988, established the congregation's functions: On 30 August 2011, Pope Benedict XVI transferred jurisdiction over unconsummated marriages and the nullification of ordinations to the Roman Rota to relieve the congregation of administrative burdens and allow it to focus on liturgy, its principal responsibility. In 2012, the congregation added an office devoted to liturgical architecture and music. From 2001 to 2017, the congregation had primary authority over a nation's liturgical translations. On 9 September 2017, Pope Francis weakened the congregation's authority with his motu proprio titled Magnum principium, ensuring that, starting 1 October 2017, the nation's Conference of Bishops will manage local liturgical translations. On 22 October 2017, the Vatican released a letter that Pope Francis had sent to the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament, Cardinal Robert Sarah, clarifying that the Vatican and its departments would have limited authority to confirm liturgical translations recognized by a local Conference of Bishops, thus retracting a commentary which Sarah had published on 13 October 2017. In March 2021, following Sarah's retirement, Pope Francis charged Claudio Maniago, leader of the Italian Episcopal Conference's liturgy programs, with undertaking a canonical visitation of the Congregation of Divine Worship in anticipation of the appointment of a new prefect. Francis then named Arthur Roche prefect on 27 May 2021.

Cardinal Prefects

Secretary

Vox Clara Committee

In 2001, the congregation established the Vox Clara Committee, composed of senior bishops from episcopal conferences throughout the English-speaking world. It advises the congregation on English-language liturgical texts and their distribution. It meets in Rome.