“The Pontiff, then, constituting the Propaganda the organic means for
discharging the Apostolate amongst the infidel and heterodox, ever fixed
to it a sublime ministry which was a substantial part of the spiritual
sovereignty received for the government of the Church; and that to such
great extent, that regarding it with respect to the territory over which
it exercises jurisdiction, it can be said, without fear of error, that,
in four at least out of the five parts of the world, the government of
the Church is held and administered by the Propaganda. The power is so
great and so unreserved, that all and every matter appertaining to the
propagation of the Faith in the universal world, is confided to it by
the Vicars of Christ, to the exclusion of any other organ whatsoever,
and this with such solemnity, that Urban VIII., on the 2nd of August,
1634, and Innocent X. on the 3rd of July, 1652, ordered that the
authentic decrees of the Propaganda should have the force of Apostolic
Constitutions.”
In this way the Congregation started into existence.
The number of Cardinals, which in the beginning was fixed at thirteen,
has been since, from time to time, increased. A Prefect was appointed
over them as over other congregations, and subsequently a Cardinal was
appointed specially over the finance department. A secretary—subsequently
two, one for the Eastern branch, and one for the Western—and writers
were added, together with many consulters taken from the foremost
religious and secular ecclesiastics residing in Rome. The whole formed
a distinct Corporation capable of sueing and being sued. It at once
commenced the work confided to it; and the world has, from that day
to this, experienced the benefits of its zealous and always prudent
administration. The whole Church, except in the purely Catholic kingdoms
of Europe, passed under its control; and its ministry has become not only
valuable, but, in fact, absolutely necessary for the due exercise of the
solicitude of the Vicar of Christ in such an immense area of the world
committed to his keeping.
In the Bull by which Gregory XV. instituted the Sacred Congregation, we
find it clearly laid down that it should be all this. Moreover, the help
which he anticipated from the faithful, came almost immediately. This
appears specially in the foundation of the celebrated seminary now known
as—