[2][3] 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.

[13] On 9 September 2017, Pope Francis weakened the congregation's authority with his motu proprio titled Magnum principium,[14] ensuring that, starting 1 October 2017,[14] the nation's Conference of Bishops will manage local liturgical translations.

[15][14] 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,[16] thus retracting a commentary which Sarah had published on 13 October 2017.

[17] 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.

[20] In 2001, the congregation established the Vox Clara Committee, composed of senior bishops from episcopal conferences throughout the English-speaking world.