Council of Cardinals

This week the Council of Cardinals will be meeting with Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J.).

The group was initially announced in April 2013 and this will be their first meeting as a group in the Vatican.

Pope Francis created the group to assist him in the governance of the Universal church and to draw up a plan for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia.

Pastor Bonus is a document published on 28 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II which provides norms and structures for the Roman Curia (“the complex of dicasteries and institutes which help the Roman Pontiff in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office for the good and service of the whole Church and of the particular Churches. It thus strengthens the unity of the faith and the communion of the people of God and promotes the mission proper to the Church in the world.” - Pastor Bonus, 1). It has received several minor modifications over the years.

Canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II

Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli) and Pope John Paul II (Karol Józef Wojtyła) will be canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, 27 April 2014.

Bishop Julito Buhisan Cortes was named Bishop of Dumaguete, Philippines.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop John Forrosuelo Du was named Archbishop of Palo in February 2012.

Bishop Cortes had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu.

Bùi Văn Ðoc named Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Coadjutor

Archbishop-designate Paul Bùi Văn Ðoc was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh (Hôchiminh Ville), Viet Nam.

Archbishop-designate Bùi Văn Ðoc had been serving as Bishop of My Tho.

Raffin retired, Lagleize named Metz Bishop

Bishop Pierre René Ferdinand Raffin, O.P. retired and Bishop Jean-Christophe André Robert Lagleize was named Bishop of Metz, France.

Bishop Lagleize had been serving as Bishop of Valence (-Die-Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux).

Galrão Leite de Almeida named São Salvador da Bahia Auxiliary

Bishop Marco Eugênio Galrão Leite de Almeida was named Auxiliary Bishop of São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil and titular bishop of Albulae.

Bishop Galrão Leite de Almeida had been serving as Bishop of Estância, Sergipe.

dos Santos retired, Müller named Lorena Bishop

Bishop Benedito Beni dos Santos retired and Bishop-elect João Inácio Müller, O.F.M. was named Bishop of Lorena, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Martín named Santa Rosa Bishop

Bishop Raúl Martín was named Bishop of Santa Rosa, Argentina.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Mario Aurelio Poli was named Archbishop of Buenos Aires in March 2013.

Bishop Martín had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires.

Fragnelli named Trapani Bishop

Bishop Pietro Maria Fragnelli was named Bishop of Trapani, Italy.

The diocese had been vacant since the removal of Bishop Francesco Micciché in May 2012.

Bishop Fragnelli had been serving as Bishop of Castellaneta.

Hebda named Newark Coadjutor

Archbishop-designate Bernard Anthony Hebda was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, USA.

Archbishop-designate Hebda had been serving as Bishop of Gaylord, Michigan.

Archbishop John Joseph Myers remains the Archbishop, but Archbishop-designate Hebda will automatically succeed him upon his retirement or death.

Jacobs retired, Fabre named Houma-Thibodaux Bishop

Bishop Sam Gallip Jacobs retired and Bishop Shelton Joseph Fabre was named Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA.

Bishop Fabre had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Monteiro de Castro retired, Piacenza named Major Penitentiary

Manuel Cardinal Monteiro de Castro retired and Mauro Cardinal Piacenza was named Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary.

Cardinal Piacenza had been serving as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

Stella named Clergy Prefect

Archbishop Beniamino Stella was named Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

He had been serving as President of Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

Patrón Wong named Clergy Official

Archbishop-designate Jorge Carlos Patrón Wong was named an Official of the Congregation for the Clergy.

He had been serving as Bishop of Papantla, Puebla, México.

Gloder named Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy President

Archbishop-elect Giampiero Gloder was named President of Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and titular archbishop of Telde.

Eterović named Germany Nuncio

Archbishop Nikola Eterović was named Apostolic Nuncio to Germany.

He had been serving as Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.

Di Noia named Doctrine of the Faith Official

Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia, O.P. was named Official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

He had been serving as Vice President of the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.

Baldisseri named Synod of Bishops Secretary General

Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri was named Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.

He had been serving as Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.

Adamczyk named Sierra Leone Nuncio

Archbishop Mirosław Adamczyk was named Apostolic Nuncio to Sierra Leone in addition to his other posts.

Kinney retired, Kettler named Saint Cloud Bishop

Bishop John Francis Kinney retired and Bishop Donald Joseph Kettler was named Bishop of Saint Cloud, Minnesota, USA.

Bishop Kettler had been serving as Bishop of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Burgess retired as Wewak Bishop

Bishop Anthony Joseph Burgess retired as Bishop of Wewak, Papua New Guinea.

Avila resigned, López named Tadjikistan Superior

Father Carlos Avila, I.V.E. resigned and Father Pedro Ramiro López, I.V.E. was named Superior of Tadjikistan.

Grings retired, Spengler named Porto Alegre Archbishop

Archbishop Dadeus Grings retired and Archbishop-designate Jaime Spengler, O.F.M. was named Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Archbishop-designate Spengler had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of the same archdiocese.

Rinaldi retired, Di Donna named Acerra Bishop

Bishop Salvatore Giovanni Rinaldi retired and Bishop Antonio Di Donna was named Bishop of Acerra, Italy.

Bishop Di Donna had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Napoli {Naples}.

Brom retired, Flores succeeded as San Diego Bishop

Bishop Robert Henry Brom retired and Bishop Cirilo Flores succeeded as Bishop of San Diego, California, USA.

Bishop Flores had been serving as Coadjutor Bishop of the same diocese.

Zollitsch retired as Freiburg im Breisgau Archbishop

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch retired as Archbishop of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

Simo retired as Bafoussam Auxiliary

Bishop Gabriel Simo retired as Auxiliary Bishop of Bafoussam, Cameroon.

Alminaza named San Carlos Bishop

Bishop Gerardo Alimane Alminaza was named Bishop of San Carlos, Philippines.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Jose F. Advincula was named Archbishop of Capiz in November 2011.

Bishop Alminaza had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro.

Prowse named Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop

Archbishop-designate Christopher Charles Prowse was named Archbishop of Canberra-Goulburn, Australia.

The archdiocese had been vacant since Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge was named Archbishop of Brisbane in April 2012.

Archbishop-designate Prowse had been serving as Bishop of Sale.

Fernández Alara named Rafaela Bishop

Bishop Luis Alberto Fernández Alara was named Bishop of Rafaela, Argentina.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Carlos María Franzini was named Archbishop of Mendoza in November 2012.

Bishop Fernández Alara had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires.

Radspieler retired as Bamberg Auxiliary

Bishop Werner Radspieler retired as Auxiliary Bishop of Bamberg, Germany.

Le Boulc’h named Coutances Bishop

Bishop-elect Laurent Le Boulc’h was named Bishop of Coutances (-Avranches), France.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Stanislas Marie Georges Jude Lalanne was named Bishop of Pontoise in January 2013.