Press briefing at the conclusion of the meeting of the C-9
(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, held a briefing for the press on the XIX Meeting of the Cardinal Councillors with Pope Francis.
The Council of Cardinals, he said, met with the Holy Father for three days: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 24-26 April. All of the members of the Council were present. Pope Francis was absent from the morning meeting on Wednesday on account of the General Audience.
The working sessions took place in the mornings from 9-12:30 and in the afternoons from 16:30-19:00. The sessions were dedicated to further considerations on the various dicasteries of the Curia; in particular, there were continued discussions concerning the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide), and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. The Cardinals also considered texts to propose to the Holy Father regarding the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts; and three tribunals: the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.
During the meetings, the Council also studied the selection and formation of the personnel in the service of the Holy See, both clerics and members of the lay faithful. Officials and superiors from the Secretariat of State, from the Council for the Economy, and from the Labour Office of the Holy See took part in the discussions. Archbishop Angelo Becciu, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, and Archbishop Jan Romeo Paw?owski were present on behalf of the Secretariat of State. For the Council for the Economy, in addition to Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Prof. Franco Vermiglio, a member of the Council, spoke at the meeting. Bishop Giorgio Corbellini and Avv. Salvatore Vecchio addressed the Cardinals for the Labour Office.
Another important theme treated by the Council was the relationship between the Episcopal Conferences and the Roman Curia. Cardinal George Pell gave an update on the work of the Secretariat for the Economy, of which he is the President, with special attention to the review of the budget for the current year. Cardinal Seán O’Malley updated the Council on the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of minors, focussing especially on the programme of global education, the last plenary assembly, and the visits to various dicasteries.
The next meeting of the Council of Cardinals will take place 12-14 June.