Council of Cardinals Commences Second Meeting on Curial Reform
After their last meeting with Pope Francis, the eight cardinals consulted with other bishops, particularly at meetings of their national bishops’ conferences.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis met with the group of eight cardinals advising him on the reform of the Roman Curia and the government of the Church this morning, initiating the council’s second meeting.
“The meeting began this morning, continuing the look at the Roman Curia with a view to its reform, as requested by the cardinals prior to the conclave,” Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, said at a briefing of journalists on Dec. 3.
This second meeting, lasting Dec. 3-5 and conducted at Casa Santa Marta, follows an initial meeting held Oct. 1-3.
The council of cardinals, made up of eight members from six continents, comprises Cardinals Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, retired archbishop of Santiago, Chile; Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India; Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany; Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Congo; Sean O’Malley of Boston; George Pell of Sydney; Giuseppe Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican city state; and Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Between their meetings, the eight cardinals sought input from other bishops, “collecting many proposals,” particularly at meetings of their national bishops’ conferences. While there is a certain distribution of tasks among the eight, given their background and experience, each has a full share in the “common responsibility” of the council’s decision-making.
The Roman Curia is currently ordered by Pastor Bonus, the apostolic constitution issued by Blessed John Paul II in 1988 that regulates and defines the charges, duties and composition of the offices of the Curia.
Father Lombardi explained at the briefing that the council’s work is “not to make simple changes or marginal modifications to Pastor Bonus,” but it will instead “prepare … in short, a new constitution.”
This month’s meeting of the council “began with a reflection on the dicasteries,” he said, starting with the Congregation for Divine Worship.
Pope Francis will be attending all the council’s sessions, except for Wednesday morning, due to his general audience.
The cardinals also plan to meet with Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, but will not be able to meet with contacts in the economic sphere.
That meeting with representatives of the Vatican’s economic concerns is likely to take place at the council’s third meeting, to be held Feb. 17-18, 2014, shortly before the next cardinals’ consistory, to occur Feb. 22.
