Moderator of the curia


A moderator of the curia, under the authority of the bishop of a diocese in the Catholic Church, coordinates the exercise of the administrative duties and oversees those who hold offices and minister in diocesan administration. He must be a priest. The office has been variously described as equivalent to a chief operating officer. Although the office was first included in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the concept is much older.
The bishop is not required to appoint a moderator of the curia and may exercise the office himself or delegate its functions to others. Usually, the vicar general, or one of them, is appointed to this office.
The moderator of the curia is bound with the bishop to the general principle "that diocesan structures should always be at the service of the good of souls and that administrative demands should not take precedence over the care of persons. Therefore, he should see that the operation is smooth and efficient, avoiding all unnecessary complexity or bureaucracy, and always directed towards its proper supernatural end."