Oratory of Saint Philip Neri - Governance

Governance

Each Oratory is an autonomous community, but these communities have federated themselves as a congregation which establishes common practices and preserves a common heritage of style of spirituality. As such, the Congregation of the Oratory functions more like a monastic federation than like a religious institute.

Three documents govern the Oratory. The first is the "General Statutes" of the Congregation, which are guidelines to be followed throughout the world; these may be changed or modified when representatives from each Oratory gather every six years in a meeting called a "congresso". The second is the "Particular Statutes", which outline how an individual Oratory is to be conducted; these must be approved by Rome. The third document is the "Constitutions", which establish general norms, and outline the relationship between the Congregation and the Holy See. As the Oratory is a confederation, there is no central authority such as is found within the Dominicans, Franciscans, or Jesuits. Technically, each Oratory is established by the Pope, and thus it has appeal to the Holy See in serious matters.

The confederative Congregation elects one of its own to represent the interests of the Congregation to the Holy See; this is done through the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. This person, known as Procurator General, resides in Rome at the Chiesa Nuova, which was home to the first followers of St. Philip Neri.