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The roman Curia is composed by around 20 residential cardinals who are living in the vatican state although the total number of the cardinals is about 195 members.
This special college assists the pope collectively when called together and individually by serving in the various offices and in special assignments.
As we saw in the page that describes the cardinals, only the ones younger than 80 years old are lawfully allowed to elect the pope inside the Sistine chapel.
The college of cardinals has a rich history and this important institution was created in the twelve century to assist the pope during his current affairs. In the Medieval times the college was entrusted with the duty of electing the new pope. Their electoral meeting became known as" conclaves" ( from cum clave, with a key ) when, in the year 1271, in order to force them to make a choice after a delay of three years, the people of the small town of Viterbo locked them in their meeting place until they decided on a candidate.
The Roman Curia is the collective name for the complex of secretariats, congregations, tribunals, councils and offices which assists the pope in the exercise of his pastoral office of service to the churches which make up the Roman catholic communion.
Within the Curia, the Secretary of the State is the coordinating office with authority over both the church's internal and external affairs. There are nine congregations each with responsibility for an area of the church's life.
The nine congregations in which the Curia of the vatican is divided are:
1- Doctrine of faith
2- Oriental churches
3- Divine worship and Discipline of the Sacraments
4- Causes of Saints
5- Bishops
6- Clergy
7- Evangelization of peoples
8- Consecrated life and Societies of Apostolic Life
9- Catholic education
The government of the church does not stop after the death of the pope, but the heads of all the dicasteries will cease to exercise their offices.
Nothing that requires papal confirmation or discussion with the pope may be executed or approved during the vacancy.
During the vacancy, there are two kinds of congregations, that is, meetings of committees made up of cardinals, which meet regularly to carry out the ordinary business of the Holy See and to set plans for the conclave itself.
Those cardinals who are over eighty years of age have the option of attending or not attending the general congregations. But all cardinals electors are required to attend the meetings of the general congregation. As soon as a cardinal learns of the pope's death, he immediately prepares to leave for Rome, and most will arrive within a week of the pontiff's passing.