Pope begins third meeting of Council of Cardinals on Church reform

February 17, 2014 - Pope Francis on Monday morning began his third meeting with the 8-member Council of Cardinals which he created on April 13, last year to help him in the governance of the Universal Church and to study a draft revision of the Apostolic Constitution ‘Pastor Bonus’ on the Roman Curia. Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay is a member of the Council of Cardinals. The meeting will end on Wednesday.

Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi briefed reporters after the morning session, saying the meeting started with 3 representatives of the commission for the organization of the economic and administrative structure of the Holy See briefing the Council of Cardinal. No decision has been taken so far. The Council of Cardinals will delve more profoundly into the report of the commission, with the afternoon session left only to the cardinals. Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin also attended Monday’s meeting. Tuesday morning, the Council of Cardinals will hear the report by representatives of the commission on the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican Bank. Wednesday afternoon there will be a meeting with the 15-member cardinals Council of Fifteen. The Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals starts on February 20 Thursday morning to which all cardinals are summoned. This meeting will focus on the family, the theme of the next Synod of Bishops.