The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of State, and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of Vatican City and the Holy See. The Secretariat is divided into two sections, the Section for General Affairs and the Section for Relations with States, known as the First Section and Second Section, respectively.

Section for General Affairs

The Section for General Affairs handles the normal operations of the Church. In the Vatican, the first section organizes the activities of the Curia and appointments to curial offices, maintains papal documents, keeps the papal seal and Fisherman's Ring, handles the concerns of embassies to the Holy See, and publishes official communications. Abroad, the

The first section is headed by an archbishop known as the Substitute for General Affairs. The current Substitute is Leonardo Sandri.

Section for Relations with States

The Section for Relations with States is responsible for the Holy See's interactions with civil governments, such as with the United Kingdom. The second section organizes the actions of nuncios with the local government, enters concordats and treaties with other states, and represents the Holy See in international organizations, such as the United Nations. The second section also participates in the organization of the various particular churches in communion with Rome in conjunction with the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and the appointment of bishops to local dioceses in conjunction with the Congregation for Bishops.

The second section is headed by an archbishop known as the Secretary for Relations with States. The secretary is often called the foreign minister of the Vatican. The current Secretary is Giovanni Lajolo.