At 13.00 today, the Vice Director of the Holy See Press Office, Paloma García Ovejero, gave a briefing on the 26th meeting of the Council of Cardinals with the Holy Father Francis.

The Council of Cardinals met, as scheduled, for three days: Monday 10, Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 September. All members were present, apart from His Eminence Cardinal George Pell, His Eminence Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz, and His Eminence Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya.

The Holy Father, as usual, participated in the work of the Council, although he was absent on three occasions: late Monday morning, for the audience with His Eminence Cardinal Beniamino Stella; on Tuesday morning, due to the ad Limina Apostolorum visit of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela; and this morning, for the General Audience.

The meetings on Monday and Tuesday took place in the morning from 9.00 to 12.00, and in the afternoon from 16.30 to 19.00. The session concluded this morning at 10.30.

The majority of the Council’s work was dedicated to the final adjustments to the draft of the new Apostolic Constitution of the Roman Curia, provisionally entitled Praedicate evangelium. The Council of Cardinals has already submitted to the Holy Father the provisional text which will however undergo stylistic revision and a canonistic review.

As already communicated on Monday, during the first session of this 26th meeting, the Council of Cardinals asked the Pope to reflect on the work, structure and composition of the Council itself, also taking into consideration the advanced age of some members.

All those present expressed their satisfaction at the good outcome of the Ninth World Meeting of Families, held in Dublin, and congratulated His Eminence Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, which along with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, organized the event.

His Eminence Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., gave an update on the work of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

Once again, the Cardinals expressed their full solidarity with Pope Francis with regard to the events of recent weeks.

The Holy Father, after hearing the Council of Cardinals, convened a meeting with the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of all the world to speak about the prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults, as announced in the communiqué published today.

The next meeting of the Council of Cardinals will take place on 10, 11, and 12 December 2018.