Former dicasteries A pontifical council was a mid-sized department or dicastery of the Roman Curia, the central organization responsible for assisting the Pope in the governance and oversight of the Catholic Church.
Such a council had a cardinal or archbishop as its president and was restricted in its activities in comparison with the larger parts of the Curia.
[3] On 1 September 2016, the Pontifical Council for the Family, established 9 May 1981, and the Pontifical Council for the Laity, established 6 January 1967, were assumed by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
[4] On 1 January 2017, these four pontifical councils were assumed by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
[5] Since Praedicate evangelium entered into force (5 June 2022), there are no more active pontifical councils.