Pope Francis reconfirms leadership of Congregation for Oriental Churches, Council for Christian Unity

(Vatican Radio) The Pope also renewed the mandate of the following members: Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts; Raphael Louis Sako I, Patriarch of Babylonia of the Chaldeans. The pontiff also appointed as new members: Cardinal Agostino Vallini, Vicar General of his holiness for the Diocese of Rome; William Charles Skurla, Archbishop of Pittsburgh of the Byzantines ; Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Titular Archbishop of Acquapendente ; Gerhard Ludwig Müller , Archbishop - Bishop Emeritus of Regensburg, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Vincent Gerard Nichols , Archbishop of Westminster; Mario Aurelio Poli, Archbishop of Buenos Aires; Joseph Edward Kurtz , Archbishop of Louisville; Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo, Archbishop of Belo Horizonte; James Denis Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne; Joseph Werth , Bishop of the Transfiguration in Novosibirsk.


The Pontiff also confirmed the following members for another five years: Cardinals Christoph Schönborn and Jean -Louis Tauran, His Beatitude Fouad Twal; Monsignors Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel , Piero Marini, Ján Babjak , Antoine Audo, until the conclusion of their respective mandates; Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone, Dionigi Tettamanzi, Angelo Scola, Marc Ouellet, André Vingt -Trois, Angelo Bagnasco, Reinhard Marx, Timothy Michael Dolan, William Joseph Levada, Francis Monterisi, Kurt Koch, Fernando Filoni, Frederick Edwin O ' Brien and His Excellency Monsignor Peter Bürcher.

The Holy Father made the following appointments of consultors: Dimitrios Salachas, Titular Bishop of Grazianopoli; the Reverend Father Massimo Pampaloni, SJ; Fr. Philippe Luisier, SJ; Fr. Michael Kuchera , SJ; Fr. Lorenzo Lorusso , OP; Fr. Georges Ruyssen , SJ; Fr. Thomas Pott , OSB ; Sac . Pablo Gefaell , PG Ronald Roberson , CSP , Bishop Paul Pallath , P. Adam Konštanc , OP; Bishop Guido Marini , and Sac. George Gallaro. The Pope confirmed the following consultors: Monsignors Christo Proykov; G. Hanna Alwan; Borys Gudziak , and the Reverend Fathers Abbott D. Michel Van Parys , OSB; Bishop Michel Berger; Archbishop Osvaldo Raineri; Archimandrite Jan Sergiusz Gajek; Bishop Natale Loda; Archpriest Mitr. Vasyl Hovera .


Pope Francis has also reconfirmed the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch and secretary Msgr. Brian Farrell, titular Bishop of Abitinae . He reconfirmed the members and consultors of the Pontifical Council until the end of their mandates .



The Pope also appointed as consultants to the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews: Christopher Charles Prowse, Bishop of Sale ( Australia ), Rev. Fr. Christian Rutishauser , SJ (Switzerland); Member of the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of Germany and Switzerland; Prof. Gregor Maria Hoff ( Federal Rep. of Germany) , Professor of Fundamental Theology and Ecumenical Theology at the University of Salzburg and Member of the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue Commission of the German Episcopal Conference .