Pope Appoints a group of 8 Cardinals to advice governance of Universal Church and Curia

Vatican City, 13 April 2013: Pope Francis, taking up a suggestion which emerged during the General Congregations, prior to the Conclave of Cardinals, has set up a group to advise the government of the universal Church and to study a draft revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia, revealed a communique from the Secretariat of the Vatican City State.

This advisory group consists of 8 Cardinals – 7 Cardinals from different continents and one from Vatican City and Roma Curia. Among them is the Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay. Other cardinals include Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago de Chile, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising (Germany); Cardinal Laurent Monswengo Pasinya of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo); Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley. O.F.M. Cap, Archbishop of Boston (U.S.A.); Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney (Australia); Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga SDB, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa of Honduras, who is the coordinator of the group while Bishop Marcello Semeraro, Bishop of Albano, will be the secretary.

The first joint meeting of the group is fixed for 1-3 October 2013.

This appointment of the group is not without significance, explained Fr. Frederico Lombardi, Director of Vatican Press office on Saturday during a press conference, especially since it has taken place one month after the election of the Pope. The Pope wanted to give a signal, he said, adding the Pontiff wanted to demonstrate that he has implemented the suggestions that emerged during the Congregations of the College of Cardinals in preparation for the Conclave.
This group called a "group" and not as a Council, a committee or a commission. Thus, it maintains a fairly open forum that also allows to find better - with time and with reflection - the exact nature, that can be explicated by this "group", he added.
Source: VR Sedoc