Germany

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Appointment of Advisory Board for the Reform of the Roman Curia

Pope Francis had appointed an advisory board composed of eight Cardinals and some other prelates whose function is to help the Holy Father in his reform of the Roman Curia to increase its efficiency.

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-appoints-council-of-eight-cardinals-to-advise

 

Here are the members of the Advisory Board, picked from members of the College of Cardinals across the globe (set to meet from 1-3 October 2013 for first discussion) :

1. Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governatorate of Vatican City State

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2. Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago del Cile (Chile)

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3. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bombay (India)

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4. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Metropolitan Archbishop of München und Freising (Germany)

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5. Cardinal Laurent Monswengo Pasinya, Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo)

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6. Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley. O.F.M. Cap., Metropolitan Archbishop of Boston (U.S.A.)

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7. Cardinal George Pell, Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney (Australia)

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8. Cardinal Oscar Andrés Maradiaga Rodríguez S.D.B., Metropolitan Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras)

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As mentioned, the first meeting of the group would be from 1-3 October 2013, so I would not expect significant changes to the Roman Curia before the end of this year, or even early next year (2014).

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Cardinal Walter Kasper (Germany) turns 80 today (5 March 2013) but will still be eligible to vote in the Conclave

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Cardinal Walter Kasper of Germany, the President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity turns 80 today, Tuesday, 5 March 2013. As such, normally he would have lost his voting rights in a Conclave as a Cardinal-elector.

http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/data/cardJP2-8.htm#76

However, as the rights of a Cardinal-elector is such that as long as he has not yet turned 80 at the moment when the Apostolic See (the Papacy) becomes vacant (Thursday, 28 February 2013), the Cardinal will still be an elector in the conclave that elects the next Pope. Therefore, Walter Kasper will still be an elector in the upcoming conclave, and thus, also the oldest of the Cardinal-electors to enter the Sistine Chapel in a week’s time.

Ad multos annos, Your Eminence! and we will always pray for you and for your brother Cardinals, especially the electors of our next Pope!