The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father for three days: Monday, December 12, Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday, December 14. All the members of the Council were in attendance. The Holy Father participated in most of the meetings. On Wednesday morning he was absent because of the General Audience, which he usually holds.
A great part of the consultations were dedicated once again to considerations being given to various dicasteries of the Curia, in view of a new Apostolic Constitution. In particular: the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide), the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for Oriental (Eastern) Churches.
Two fundamental themes have emerged from the guidelines established for the reform of the discasteries: missionary zeal and synodality.
The Cardinals have already completed their study of other dicasteries (Doctrine of the Faith, Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Causes of Saints and the Promotion of Christian Unity) and have submitted their final proposals to the Holy Father.
A considerable amount of time was dedicated to proposals for the two new dicasteries. His Eminence, Cardinal Kevin Farrell spoke about the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, of which he is the Prefect. The discussion focused on the role of the laity, with an invitation to all those present to re-read the letter (dated 19 III 2016) that Pope Francis addressed to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
His Eminence, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson presented the working plan for the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, which will unite the offices until now concerned with Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Health Workers and Migrants and Itinerants. Cardinal Turkson was accompanied by His Excellency, Silvano Maria Tomasi, who explained the new discastery as the realization of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution Gaudium et Spes.
His Eminence, Cardinal Sean O'Malley explained the most recent activities of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, over which he presides, while His Eminence, Cardinal George Pell referred to the most recent developments in the Secretariat for the Economy which has been entrusted to his care.
This afternoon, Reverend Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò, Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications will present the steps that have been accomplished in recent months in efforts to update the Holy See's communications, with particular attention to the formation and training of personnel.
The next meeting of the Council is planned for February 13-15, 2017.
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