Rome establishes the Congregation de Propaganda Fide
About this date: The founding decision and first meeting are dated 6 January; formal establishment also involved later instruments in 1622.
Gregory XV creates a permanent congregation to coordinate missionary activity from Rome.
Historical context
The institution develops amid royal patronage systems associated with European expansion. Its history reveals negotiations between papal oversight, missionaries, and political powers.
Key points
- The congregation's archive identifies 6 January 1622 as its foundation date.
- Its original remit included non-Christian missions and relations with other Christians.
- Its structure centralized oversight rather than creating all missionary activity from nothing.
People
- Gregory XV
Sources and further reading
- The Congregation de Propaganda Fide
Institutional history quoting the founding meeting's Latin minutes.