Council of Cardinals continues meeting in Vatican

Vatican News

The meeting of the C9, the Council of Cardinals established by the Pope to assist him in the reform project of the Roman Curia and the governance of the Church, is continuing today, June 18, with the presence of Pope Francis in the Vatican. This is the third meeting of 2024 after those in February and April.

Work in 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.

This article was updated in the afternoon of Tuesday 18th June.