Scottish Catholic Observer

The reform of the Roman Curia and the attribution of a more incisive role for the lay Faithful were among the principal themes discussed yesterday afternoon and this morning at the meeting of the Council of Cardinals (above).

The cardinals, instituted by Pope Francis to assist him in the governance of the Church, have been meeting in Rome this week, with the group’s leader, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras, saying before the meeting that they aim to ‘rip up and rewrite’ the Vatican constitution.

Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesperson, said that Pope Francis had been present at yesterday’s afternoon session of the Council of Cardinals.

“The cardinals worked principally on the reform of the Curia,” Fr Lombardi said. “The direction of their work would not indicate an updating of the apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus, with retouches and marginal modifications, but rather, a new constitution with significant new aspects.”

Fr Lombardi added that ‘the intention of the cardinals is to emphasise the nature of the service on the part of the curia and the universal and local Church in terms of subsidiarity, rather than the exercise of centralised power.’

He added that the role of the laity merited ‘significant attention’ from the Council of Cardinals, as they had received ‘many suggestions and questions on this subject from their various areas of origin.’

“When dealing with the reform of the curia and its institutions, the council also plans to give more specific attention to issues relating to the laity, so that this dimension of the life of the Church is properly and effectively recognised and followed by the governance of the Church,” Fr Lombardi said. “Now there is a Pontifical Council for the Laity, but it is still possible to think of ways of strengthening this aspect.”

News from the Council of Cardinals will be warmly greeted by Open House, an independent magazine of comment and debate on faith issues in Scotland, which has organised a conference next month focusing on ‘the role of lay people in Church governance.’

The meeting, which will take place at the Holiday Inn, Glasgow, on Saturday November 16, has been arranged to discuss the involvement of lay people in the Church, at a time when ‘the number of priests is in decline.’

The conference will feature talks from Sr Helen Costigane SHCJ, a Scot who lectures at London University’s Heythrop College, who will set out what Church law says about the role of the laity and consider how it might develop in the future, as well as theologian Dr David Jasper of Glasgow University, who will respond from the Episcopalian tradition. The Very Rev Sheilagh Kesting, the first women minister to become Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, will also share insights from the Presbyterian tradition.

Ahead of the event, Mary Cullen, editor of Open House, said: “There is a lot of talk today about lay people getting more involved in the running of the Church and we thought it would be helpful to consider what opportunities canon law allows for their involvement today, and how this might develop in the future.

“Sr Helen teaches canon law and ethics and is a lively and interesting speaker. David and Sheilagh will share insights about the contribution of lay people in their traditions.”

—[email protected]

—For more information on Glasgow event email Mary Cullen at [email protected]