Meeting of the Council of Cardinals with Pope Francis

By Joachim Teigen

The Council of Cardinal Advisors assembled with Pope Francis in Rome on Wednesday for the third and last day of their 24th session.

Apostolic Constitution

A large part of their work has been dedicated to the draft of a new Apostolic Constitution of the Roman Curia, which will be submitted to the Holy Father for his final approval. The topics making up the new Constitution include the Curia’s service to the Holy Father and the local Churches, the pastoral character of their activities, the establishing and tasks of a Third Section of the Secretariat of State, and the proclamation of the Gospel and the missionary spirit as guiding principles for the entire Curia’s activities.

Protection of minors

Cardinal Sean O’Malley presented to the Cardinals the efforts that have been made to protect minors and vulnerable adults in the Church. He also made reference to the recent meeting between the Survivor Advisory Panel and the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, and stressed the importance of listening to the experiences of abuse victims and having their stories as a starting point.

Over the last days sessions have taken place in the mornings and afternoons, and the next meeting of the Council will take place from 11th to 13th of June.