Vatican City: The Vatican has unveiled sweeping administrative reforms that will transform how its central departments operate, including a historic shift away from the exclusive use of Latin for official documents. Pope Leo XIV has approved the new General and Personnel Regulations of the Roman Curia, which will take effect on January 1, 2026, aligning the Curia’s internal governance with Praedicate Evangelium the apostolic constitution introduced by Pope Francis in 2022.
Approved ad experimentum for a five-year trial period, the updated regulations aim to strengthen an “ecclesial service marked by pastoral and missionary character,” ensuring that Vatican structures better support the Church’s global evangelizing mission.
One of the most notable reforms concerns language. For centuries, Latin served as the default language of Roman Curia documentation. The new regulations, however, explicitly state that Vatican offices may draft documents “in Latin or in another language,” marking a significant step toward linguistic flexibility.
This change allows dicasteries to prepare official documents directly in languages commonly used in Vatican administration such as Italian, English, and Spanish. The reform reflects both the international composition of the Curia and the linguistic capabilities of Pope Leo XIV, whose native language is English and who speaks fluent Spanish following many years of pastoral mission in Peru.
The revised guidelines introduce clearer measures to avoid nepotism within Vatican institutions. They prohibit the hiring of close blood relatives up to the fourth degree and relatives by marriage up to the second degree within the same office. Every candidate must demonstrate “virtue, prudence, knowledge, and appropriate experience.”
Lay employees will now undergo a probationary period of at least one year, with a maximum of two. After this period, the employer must either confirm the employee permanently or end the employment no extensions allowed.
The new framework also enhances financial oversight. Officials and senior-level staff must submit a declaration every two years confirming that they do not own assets in tax havens or hold financial interests that contradict Catholic social teaching, such as investments in weapons manufacturing or abortion-related industries.
Failing to submit this declaration or providing false information will constitute a serious disciplinary violation.
For the first time, the Vatican will operate under uniform labor standards. The regulations set the minimum weekly working hours at 36 and outline family-supportive policies, including generous maternity leave three months before childbirth and three months after. In addition, employees are entitled to 158 hours of annual leave.
Curial staff must adhere to strict confidentiality rules, and no one may make public statements without prior authorization.
The updated regulations standardize retirement ages across Vatican departments:
• Heads of dicasteries must retire at 75.
• Ecclesiastical and religious undersecretaries at 72.
• Lay employees at 70.
• All appointments automatically conclude at 80, regardless of role.
With these comprehensive changes, the Vatican seeks to modernize its administrative culture, strengthen transparency, and make its governance more responsive to today’s global Church while opening a new chapter in its centuries-long linguistic tradition.