Council of Cardinals meets, with new membership (Vatican News)

The Council of Cardinals convened on April 24, for the first meeting since Pope Francis named new members to his top advisory council in March.

Four members of the Council remain in place: Cardinals Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State; Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, and Sean O’Malley of Boston.

The new members are Cardinals Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg; Gerald Lacroix of Quebec, Juan José Omella Omella of Barcelona, and Sergio da Rocha of San Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

Archbishop Marco Mellino acts as secretary of the council.

Originally established to advise the Pontiff on the reform of the Roman Curia, the Council of Cardinals—commonly referred to as “C9” in a reference to the number of members—completed that task with the promulgation of the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium last year. By extending the group’s mandate and renewing its membership, the Pontiff indicated that he wants to continue receiving its advice. The most recent meeting of the Council, last December, was devoted to a discussion of the Synod on Synodality.