Paloma Garcia Ovejero, Vice-Director of the Holy See Press Office, has reiterated that Pope Francis and the Council of Cardinals are continuing to discuss curial reform.
During a briefing held this afternoon in the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican spokesman informed journalists about the 26th Session of the «Council of Cardinals,» often called the «C9,» which began Monday and ended this morning at 10:30 a.m. in the Vatican.
All the members of the Council were present except Cardinal Pell, Cardinal Monsengwo and Cardinal Errazuriz. The Vice-director noted that the Pope participated in all, but three moments: late Monday morning when meeting Cardinal Stella, Tuesday morning when meeting the bishops of Venezuela, and this morning’s, due to his weekly General Audience.
The working sessions were held in the morning from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and in the afternoon, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and were dedicated to further considerations on several dicasteries of the Curia.
However today, the council concluded after its morning session and will not meet in the afternoon.
According to the statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the majority of the Council’s work was dedicated to the final adjustments to the draft of the new Apostolic Constitution of the Roman Curia, provisionally entitled Praedicate evangelium.
The Council of Cardinals has already submitted to the Holy Father the provisional text which will however undergo stylistic revision and a canonistic review.
All those present expressed their satisfaction at the good outcome of the Ninth World Meeting of Families, held in Dublin, and congratulated Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which along with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, organized the event.
Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, as usual, gave an update on the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
«Once again,» Paloma Garcia Ovejero noted, «the Cardinals expressed their full solidarity with Pope Francis with regard to the events of recent weeks.»
She also announced: «The Holy Father, after hearing the Council of Cardinals, convened a meeting with the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of all the world to speak about the prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.» This was published in a subsequent statement of the council.
The next meeting of the Council of Cardinals will take place on December 10-12, 2018.
