(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 10.25.2024).- During the 15th General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops, the new members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod were elected.
Compared to the current Instruction, which regulates the work of the Assembly, the Holy Father made a change that brings the total number of members to 17, Twelve of them were elected on the evening of October 23 from among the diocesan/eparchial bishops or equivalent members of the Assembly: 1 from the Eastern Catholic Churches, 1 from Oceania, 2 each from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
To these will be added 4 members of papal appointment and, in due course, the head of the Dicastery of the Roman Curia competent for the theme of the next Synod.
According to the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio (n. 24, 1-3), the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Ordinary General Assembly. The Members of the Ordinary Council take office at the end of the Ordinary General Assembly that elected them; they are Members of the next Ordinary General Assembly and cease from their mandate at the dissolution of the latter. The Council, chaired by the Holy Father, is an integral part of the General Secretariat.
The new Ordinary Council will play a fundamental role both in the implementation of this synodal process on synodality and in the preparation of the next Synod.
In wishing the newly elected members good work, Cardinal Mario Grech thanked the outgoing members for their valuable collaboration in the realization of the current synodal process.
The elected members are:
FROM THE EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES
His Beatitude Youssef ABSI, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek Melkites, Head of the Synod of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church
FROM OCEANIA
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Timothy John COSTELLOE, S.D.B., Archbishop of Perth (Australia)
FROM NORTH AMERICA
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Daniel Ernest FLORES, Bishop of Brownsville (United States of America)
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Alain FAUBERT, Bishop of Valleyfield (Canada)
FROM LATIN AMERICA
His Eminence Most Rev. Card. Luis José RUEDA APARICIO, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia) His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. José Luis AZUAJE AYALA, Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela)
FROM EUROPE
His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Marc AVELINE, Archbishop of Marseille (France) His Excellency Msgr Gintaras GRUŠAS, Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania)
FROM AFRICA
Cardinal Dieudonné NZAPALAINGA, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic) H.E. Msgr. Andrew FUANYA NKEA, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon)
FROM ASIA
His Eminence Cardinal Filipe Neri António Sebastião DO ROSÁRIO FERRÃO, Archbishop of Goa and Damão (India)
His Excellency Msgr. Pablo Virgilio S. DAVID, Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines)
To this list, Pope Francis will appoint 4 other members.
The members who will conclude their mandate with the sixteenth assembly are:
∙ His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III YOUNAN, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Head of the Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church (Lebanon)
∙ Cardinal Christoph SCHÖNBORN, O.P., Archbishop of Vienna (Austria). ∙ Cardinal Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Bombay, President of the Episcopal Conference (India).
∙ Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LACROIX, I.S.P.X., Archbishop of Quebec, (Canada). ∙ Cardinal Charles Maung BO, S.D.B., Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar).
∙ Cardinal Daniel Fernando STURLA BERHOUET, S.D.B., Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay).
∙ Cardinal Dieudonné NZAPALAINGA, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic).
∙ Cardinal Sérgio da ROCHA, Archbishop of Brasilia (Brazil).
∙ Cardinal Joseph William TOBIN, C.SS.R., Archbishop of Newark (United States of America).
∙ Cardinal Juan José OMELLA OMELLA, Archbishop of Barcelona (Spain). ∙ Cardinal Joseph COUTTS, Archbishop of Karachi (Pakistan).
∙ Cardinal Matteo Maria ZUPPI, Archbishop of Bologna (Italy).
∙ H.E. Archbishop Gabriel MBILINGI, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Lubango (Angola). ∙ H.E. Archbishop Anthony Colin FISHER, O.P., Archbishop of Sydney (Australia).
∙ H.E. Archbishop Jaime CALDERÓN CALDERÓN, Bishop of Tapachula (Mexico).
∙ H.E. Mons. Andrew FUANYA NKEA, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon).
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