VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 031
DATE 13-02-2015

Summary:
- Extraordinary Consistory: reform will strengthen the credibility of the
Church
- Press release from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
- Notice

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 Extraordinary Consistory: reform will strengthen the credibility of the Church
 Vatican City, 13 February 2015 (VIS) - The Extraordinary Consistory of the
College of Cardinals with Pope Francis did not complete its work this morning
as expected. The meeting will continue during the afternoon, with an update on
the work of the Commission for the Protection of Minors by its president,
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, explained the director of the Holy See Press Office,
Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., during a press conference today.
 Yesterday, Thursday, the meeting continued in a serene and constructive
atmosphere, with interventions by a further 28 cardinals who offered different
perspectives on the reform of the Curia, focusing on the relationship between
the Curia and the local Churches, and underlining the importance of better
serving the Church in the world. They spoke of "decentralisation", and the
theme of "subsidiarity" was recurrent. Further reflection was invited on what
can be done better and where: or rather, in which cases it would be more
useful for the Roman dicasteries to act, and when instead the involvement of
the dioceses or the episcopal conferences would be more useful.
 Other interventions were dedicated to the usefulness and importance of the
central service of the Holy See, bearing in mind the experience in various
countries where the local church is weak and may be subject to pressure, and
is therefore supported by the work of the Vatican.
 Coordination within the Curia was addressed not with a merely functional
focus, but rather from the perspective of a sense of communion between the
different dicasteries, of communication that creates union in the common
mission. More specifically, the interministerial commissions were referred to
as tools for achieving this objective and the importance of continuity in this
dimension of coordination was noted.
 Emphasis was placed on the competence of the Secretariat of State with regard
to the Holy See's relations with international organisations and entities as a
guarantee of coherence and the assumption of a common position. However, this
does not mean that the Secretariat of State acts alone, but rather that it
involves the dicasteries with specific competences, always with a guiding
unity.
 Simplification is a shared criterion. There were several considerations
regarding the qualifications of people working in the Curia, from the point of
view of professional competence and ecclesial spirit and dedication. Emphasis
was placed on the need for professionals from different parts of the world and
for the Church to better reflect her universality. In this respect, there was
discussion on the role of the laity, women in particular, in the assumption of
positions of responsibility in the Roman Curia. Other interventions focused on
the positive elements of the Apostolic Constitution "Pastor bonus", which must
not be lost from view; therefore, the reform process must ensure distinct
continuity with this document, especially from an ecclesiological point of
view.
 This morning's meeting, attended by 164 cardinals, focused primarily on a
long report with four interventions on themes of an economic nature,
introduced by Cardinal George Pell, president of the Secretariat for the
Economy. Joseph F.X. Zahra of the Commission for Reference on the Organisation
of the Economic and Administrative Structure of the Holy See (COSEA) then
spoke about the study the Commission carried out last year on the
organisational issues faced by the Holy See, and gave information on the
Commission's activity. It was the first time that the College of Cardinals has
received such a detailed report in the presence of so many cardinals. The
composition, role, work and competences of the Council for the Economy were
then the subject of an intervention by Cardinal Reinhard Marx.
 Cardinal Pell then gave further information regarding the recent activities
of the Secretariat, focusing primarily on the balance for the year that has
just commenced. Finally, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the Institute
for the Works of Religion (IOR) spoke about the current situation of this body.
 Following the interventions by the cardinals, several questions were raised
to the speakers. As well as asking for more specific details, the cardinals
expressed their appreciation for the reorganisation work that has taken place
and their conviction that this constitutes a convincing reform that
prioritises transparency, integrity and competence. The speed with which it
has been put into affect was also praised, given that there are already
entities working according to the new guidelines. The reforms, it was
affirmed, strengthen the credibility of the Church.
 Questions of a more technical nature were also posed, regarding the
competences of various bodies and the relations between the Holy See and
Vatican City State.

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 Press release from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
 Vatican City, 13 February 2015 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India have
organised a series of events in the country, which will also be attended by
Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio in India.
 Two representatives of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue,
Rev. Fr. Indunil Kodithuwakku, under secretary, and Rev. Fr. Santiago Michael,
official for Asia, travelled to India to participate in the Fifth
Buddhist-Christian Colloquium on 12 and 13 February in Bodh Gaya. Entitled
"Buddhists and Christians Together Fostering Fraternity", it is divided into
five sub-themes: (1) "We belong to one human family"; (2) "From a culture of
diversity to a culture of solidarity"; (3) "Fraternity, a prerequisite for
overcoming social evils"; (4) "Fraternity wipes away tears"; and (5) "Together
fostering fraternity: the way forward", all to be considered from both
Christian and Buddhist points of view. The participants, both Buddhists and
Christians, come from various countries: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Korea, Japan,
Myanmar, Mongolia, Taiwan and India. A message will be issued at the end of
the event.
 From 14 to17 February the representatives of the dicastery will travel to
Varanasi to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the
Conciliar declaration "Nostra aetate" (28 October 1965). There will be
encounters with the Jain, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu communities, on the
theme "Celebrating Diversity of Religions to Foster a World of Peace and Love".
 On 15 February, again in Varasani, at the St. Mary's Cathedral Campus, there
will be a multi-religious prayer meeting organised by the PCID, the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of India and the diocese of Varasani, to be attended by
representatives of various religions and Christian communities.

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 Notice
 Vatican City, 13 February 2015 (VIS) - We wish to inform our readers that
tomorrow, Saturday 14 February, due to the Ordinary Public Consistory for the
creation of new cardinals, a special edition of the Vatican Information
Service bulletin will be transmitted.

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