Monday, June 17, 2024

Council of Cardinals meets today with Pope Francis

 

Pope Francis presides at a meeting of the Council of Cardinals (archive photo)Pope Francis presides at a meeting of the Council of Cardinals (archive photo) 

Council of Cardinals meeting in the Vatican

The C9 Council of Cardinals convenes in the Vatican for its third meeting of 2024.

Vatican News

The June meeting of the Council of Cardinals got underway on Monday in the presence of Pope Francis.

The so-called “C9” was established by Pope Francis in 2013 to assist him in the work of reforming the Roman Curia and in the governance of the Church. This week's gathering is the third time the Council has met in 2024.

The work of April

The most recent session, in April, focused on the implementation of the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium in diocesan Curias; and on the areas of conflict throughout the world – “particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine” – with Pope Francis and the cardinals expressing the hope “that efforts aimed at identifying paths of negotiation and peace might be increased.”

In other recent meetings, Council members had discussed “the role of women in the Church” and listened to the reflections of two women, Sister Regina da Costa Pedro and Professor Stella Morra.

The ‘new’ C9

The Council of Cardinals, following the Pope's renewal of the body on March 7, 2023, is currently composed of Cardinals Pietro Parolin, secretary of state; Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and the Governorate of Vatican City State; Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, archbishop of Kinshasa; Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay; Seán Patrick O'Malley, archbishop of Boston; Juan José Omella Omella, archbishop of Barcelona; Gérald Lacroix, archbishop of Québec; Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg; and Sérgio da Rocha, archbishop of San Salvador de Bahia. The secretary is Bishop Marco Mellino, titular bishop of Cresima. The first meeting of the new C9 was held on April 24.

The establishment of the Council of Cardinals

The Council was established by Pope Francis with a chirograph of 28 September 2013, with the tasks of assisting him in the governance of the universal Church and of considering a project for the reform of the Roman Curia.

The latter was accomplished with the new apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, published on 19 March 2022.

The first meeting of the C9 was held on 1 October 2013.

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