VATICAN CITY — As Pope Francis’ council of cardinals for Curia reform gather this week in Rome, the newly created Pontifical Commission for the Protection for Minors will soon meet to finish creating its statutes.

Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican’s press office, announced in a briefing with journalists Sept. 17 that the commission will hold its next meeting Oct. 4-5.

Msgr. Robert Oliver was appointed secretary of the commission Sept. 10, and that same day Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston was confirmed president of the commission.

As the commission takes shape, Father Lombardi underscored that “in the next few weeks other very important aspects will be specified regarding the statutes and further members of the commission.”

Msgr. Oliver immediately stressed that his first effort will be that of identifying new members for the commission, in order to include Asia, Africa and South America and thus represent all global geographical areas.

The new secretary will also work on the statutes, harmonizing with the work of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which he left to assume his new post.

Speaking on the sixth gathering of the cardinals’ council, which took place Sept. 15-17, Father Lombardi said that a draft introduction of the new constitution for general Curia reform “was also drawn up and distributed.”

The council was chosen by Pope Francis shortly after his election in 2013 to advise him on matters of Church governance and reform of the Vatican bureaucracy. As part of this effort, the minors’ protection committee was launched within the year. It aims to provide a model for practices which provide an adequate and pastoral response to situations of abuse.

Father Lombardi said that Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga Rodriguez, coordinator of the council, “has prepared an overall plan to facilitate the organization of the contributions and reflections already offered during the previous meetings and the integration of new ones.”

Each cardinal of the council has been entrusted with a specific area he has to deal with, and each of them has presented several proposals.

During the last meeting, the council focused on two principal topics, Father Lombardi said.

The first “includes the themes of the laity and the family,” a “very broad area, encompassing many issues, including for instance the role of women in society and in the Church, youth, childhood or matters related to lay associations.”

The second dealt with “themes linked to justice and peace, charity, migrants and refugees, health and the protection of life and ecology, especially human ecology,” he recounted.

Both of these discussions dealt with how “these topics may be included in the Curia reform,” Father Lombardi said.

It has been widely speculated that the Curia reform will streamline its offices by creating two super congregations: one for justice and peace, which would include the Pontifical Councils for Justice and Peace, Migrants and Cor Unum; and another congregation for laity, including competences and offices of the Pontifical Councils for Laity, Family and Pastoral Health Care.

The next meetings of cardinals are scheduled for Dec. 9-11 of this year and Feb. 9-11, 2015.