The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (Latin: Congregatio pro Institutis Vitae Consecratae et Societatibus Vitae Apostolicae) is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for everything which concerns Institutes of Consecrated Life (orders and religious congregations, both of men and of women, as well as secular institutes) and Societies of Apostolic Life regarding their government, discipline, studies, goods, rights, and privileges.
On May 27, 1586, Pope Sixtus V founded the Sacred Congregation for Consultations about Regulars. In 1908 Pope Pius X changed its name to the Congregation of the Affairs of Religious. In 1967 Pope Paul VI changed its name to the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes. Saint John Paul II gave the Congregation its current name.
The current Prefect is Cardinal João Braz de Aviz. The current Secretary is Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, O.F.M., who was the former superior-general of the Franciscans. There are two Undersecretaries of the Congregation, Father Sebastiano Paciolla, O.Cist. and Sister Nicoletta Vittoria Spezzati, A.S.C.
Girolamo Maria Gotti, OCD (1899–1902)
José Calassanç Vives y Tuto, OFM Cap (1908–1913)
Ottavio Cagiano de Azevedo (1913–1915)
Domenico Serafini, OSB (1916)
Diomede Falconio, OFM (1916–1917)
Giulio Tonti (1917–1918)
Raffaele Scapinelli di Léguigno (1918–1920)
Teodoro Valfre di Bonzo (1920–1922)
Camillo Laurenti (1922–1928)
Alexis Lépicier, OSM (1928–1935)
Vincenzo Lapuma (1935–1943)
Luigi Lavitrano (1945–1950)
Clemente Micara (1950–1953)
Valerio Valeri (1953–1963)
Ildebrando Antoniutti (1963–1973)
Arturo Tabera Araoz, CMF (1973–1975)
Eduardo Francisco Pironio (pro-prefect 1975–1976, prefect 1976–1984)
Jean Jérôme Hamer, OP (pro-prefect 1984–1985, prefect 1985–1992)
Eduardo Martínez Somalo (1992–2004)
Franc Rode, CM (2004–2011)
João Braz de Aviz (2011–present)
Donato Sbarretti (1910–1916)
Adolfo Turchi (1916–1918)
Mauro Serafini (1918–1925)
Vincenzo Lapuma (1925–1935)
Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto (1935–1950)
Arcadio Larraona Saralegui, CMF (1950–1959)
Paul-Pierre Philippe, OP (1959–1967)
Antonio Mauro (1967–1969)
Edward Louis Heston, CSC (1969–1971)
Paul Augustin Mayer, OSB (1971–1984)
Vincenzo Fagiolo (1984–1990)
Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, P.Schönstatt (1990–1996)
Piergiorgio Nesti, CP (1996–2006)
Gianfranco Gardin, OFM Conv. (2006–2009)
Joseph William Tobin, C.SS.R. (2010–2012)
José Rodríguez Carballo, O.F.M. (since 2013)
