The latest meeting of the group of eight cardinals advising Pope Francis on the reform of the Roman Curia began Monday, and will continue for the following two days. The meeting, held April 28-30, follows previous meetings held in February, December, and October. The Council of Cardinals was instituted by Pope Francis shortly after his election, to aid him in governing the Church and to revise “Pastor Bonus”, the apostolic constitution governing Rome’s curia. It is speculated that the discussion may focus on the establishment of a “Congregation of the People of God,” focused on the laity, a Vatican source told CNA April 24. The source added that the proposed congregation would streamline the pontifical councils for the family, pastoral assistance to health care workers, and the laity. As a result of the previous meetings of the council of cardinals, Pope Francis has already established a Secretariat for the Economy, continued reform of the ‘Vatican bank’, and instituted a commission for the protection of minors. The Vatican’s economic issues seem to have dominated the cardinals’ meetings. The council of cardinals draws from prelates around the world. Its members are Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa; Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Governatorate of Vatican City State; Francisco Errazuriz Ossa, Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago de Chile; Oswald Gracias of Bombay; Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising; Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa; Sean O’Malley of Boston; and George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy.
