It took on the responsibilities previously managed by the Office of Papal Charities, which had functioned as part of the
papal household rather than as a curial department and was closely identified with the role of the Almoner of His Holiness, more commonly known as the papal almoner. The almoner's post had been used to reward senior prelates until Pope Francis made its transformation "a flagship initiative" of his papacy, increasing its budget and visibility, elevating his almoner to the rank of cardinal, and transforming the role of almoner into a curial office. Discussing
Praedicate evangelium when it was promulgated,
Marco Mellino, secretary of the
Council of Cardinal Advisers, said that it reorganized the
Roman Curia to orient it to service rather than administration and that elevating the church's almsgiving function was a key part of this. While the
Secretariat of State retained its preeminent role, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity was one of the three top-ranking units that followed in the Curia's hierarchy to reflect its core mission: evangelization, doctrine, and charity. Like the other dicasteries under this constitution, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity is headed by a prefect, though in this instance the prefect also has the traditional title Almoner of His Holiness or papal almoner. The prefect enjoys an additional distinction: it is one of only two curial prefects who retain their authority during the
sede vacante, the period between the end of one papacy and the beginning of the next. The principle is that the service of charity is never to be interrupted. ==Functions==