Laien als Präfekt/in ‒ Radikaler Umbruch?

Eine Bewertung aus rechtlicher Sicht

Abstract

When, on 6 January 2025, a lay woman was appointed as Prefect of a dicastery of the Roman Curia, many will likely have regarded this as a “radical change”. The present article seeks to examine, with a view to the legal basis, the development of the curial reform under Pope Francis (theory) and concrete appointments (practice), whether this indeed constitutes a “radical change”, and how the appointment of a layperson as head of a dicastery and the designation of that officeholder as “Prefect” are to be assessed from a legal perspective.