Vatican City, 8 June 2016 – The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father during the three days: Monday 6, Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 June. All members were present, although Cardinal Monsengwo arrived after the beginning of the session. The Holy Father attended the majority of meetings, but was absent on Wednesday morning due to the general audience, as usual.

The majority of consultations were again devoted to further considerations on the various dicasteries of the Curia, the subject of previous meetings, in view of the new apostolic constitution. Special attention was paid to the Congregation for Bishops, the Secretariat of State, the Congregations for Catholic Education, the Oriental Churches and the Clergy, and the Pontifical Councils for Culture, for Promoting Christian Unity, and for Interreligious Dialogue.

The results of the considerations during prior sessions regarding various Congregations – for the Doctrine of the Faith, Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Causes of Saints, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life – as well as the new dicastery on "Charity, Justice and Peace" (which as mentioned previously, will incorporate the current competences of Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Health Care Workers, Migrants and Itinerant Peoples) have been entrusted to the Pope for further examination and consultations as he may consider appropriate.

The criteria of these reflections have included, for instance, simplification, harmonisation of the tasks of the difference Organisms, and possible forms of decentralisation in relation with the Episcopal Conferences.

Updates were given by the coordinator of the Council for the Economy, Cardinal Marx, and the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Cardinal Pell, on issues within their competence.

On the part of the prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Msgr. Dario Viganò reported on the progress of reforms of the Holy See system of communication, on the ongoing re-evaluation of work organisation and on production processes, and on the process of integration, especially with regard to Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre during the current year. The Council expressed its gratitude and encouraged the continuing progress on this path.

Cardinal O'Malley reported on the activity of the Commission for the Protection of Minors, and introduced an exchange of reflections on the Pope's new Motu Proprio ("Like a Loving Mother", published on 4 June).

The next meetings of the Council are scheduled to take place from 12 to 14 September and from 12 to 14 December 2016.