Fr. Lombardi: Council of Cardinals has long term task and no Short term conclusions
Vatican City, 3 October 2013: In a press conference held in the Holy See Press Office
Wednesday morning, director Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., gave information on the meeting
of the Council of Cardinals, taking place in the Vatican from 1 to 3 October. The
members of the Council, before the beginning of the meeting, concelebrated with the
Pope on Tuesday morning at the Holy Mass in the Santa Marta chapel, said Fr. Lombardi.
Following the first meeting on Tuesday morning in the third loggia of the papal apartment,
they decided to continue the meetings in the Santa Marta guesthouse, where they all
currently reside. The meetings are taking place in a small room, not far from the
Chapel, for logistic reasons, ensuring that the members do not need to transfer to
the apostolic palace. The meetings follow an intense schedule: from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pope Francis participated in the morning and evening sessions
on Tuesday. On Wednesday he was not present due to the general Audience, but he will
be present this afternoon and tomorrow. The Pope emphasised the significance of
the chirograph by which he instituted the Council of Cardinals, “a document that gives
this group juridical status, stability and continuity and which makes the Council
a more consistent tool, especially from a juridical point of view”. He also specified
that the members are not “continental delegates”, but rather members of the episcopal
college who are also cardinals, who have rich pastoral experience, and who come from
large dioceses. The Holy Father chose them for this reason, but they are not delegates
of the episcopates of various parts of the world. “They are all people whom the
Pope holds in high regard, with whom he is in confidence and accord and whose advice
he considers to be helpful in taking what he considers to be the most suitable approach
to the governance of the Church”, continued Fr. Lombardi. “This is not an insignificant
task, since confidence and esteem foster the climate of serenity necessary for an
open and constructive dialogue”. The first meeting on Tuesday afternoon opened
with a brief introduction from the Pope and a reflection on the ecclesiology of Vatican
Council II, in order to define the nature of the Council in relation not only to organisational
matters, but to “a broader theological and spiritual vision of the Church, inspired
by the ecclesiology of Vatican Council II and the implementation of its themes”. “Naturally”,
specified Fr. Lombardi, “this is not achieved simply by means of a morning round table,
but indicates the views the various board members take. They have considered issues
such as how to revive and refresh the relationship between the universal and local
Church, communion and collegiality, the need to be a Church of the poor, and the role
of the laity; all points raised by Vatican Council II and which form a backdrop to
the work of the Council of Cardinals. In the light of this, they will later consider
structures of governance”. Each of the participants presented a brief summary of
the suggestions received, and brought along material which forms part of the common
working documentation for the Council. This has enabled the group to classify the
major themes to be considered in this and subsequent sessions. The Tuesday afternoon
session was dedicated to the Synod of Bishops and was attended by the new secretary,
Bishop Baldisseri. “It is an important theme, both for the participation of the episcopate
in the life of the Church through the synod, and for the urgency of initiating preparations
for the next synod, about which we will probably know more within a few days. However
we do not know if it will be an ordinary or extraordinary synod”, said Lombardi, adding
that the Pope had made reference to a “theme of an anthropological nature: the family
according to the Gospel, but in any case it is not yet precise. The Holy Father also
said that prominent themes such as family and matrimonial pastoral will be the order
of the day in the activity of the Church in the near future”. “Today, Wednesday,
the Council has focused on other issues such as the reform of the Curia in its various
aspects, the function of the Secretariat of State, relations between the dicasteries
and with the Holy Father. There have been many suggestions and contributions. It is
a long term task, and therefore one should not expect conclusions in the short term
or within these days”. (Source: VIS)