Resignation of archbishop of Lyon, France

Institution of the General Directorate of Staff

Resignation of archbishop of Lyon, France

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Lyon, France, presented by His Eminence Cardinal Philippe Barbarin.

Institution of the General Directorate of Personnel

In response to the proposal advanced by the Council of Cardinals and the Council for the Economy, His Holiness Francis has arranged for the institution of the “General Directorate of Personnel” at the Section for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.

The “General Directorate of Personnel” will take on the tasks of the current Personnel Office of the Secretariat of State, and its competence will extend not only to the Dicasteries and entities of the Holy See itself, but also the Institutes (for example, the Institute for the Works of Religion), Factories, Chapters, Administrations, Organs, Foundations, Domus and other entities dependent on the Holy See or in some way connected to it, in derogation of the respective Regulations.

This new Directorate will be presided over by a director and will be endowed with strategic, inspection and operational power, with functions of coordination, control and supervision; it will also be equipped so as to be able to respond, in a timely fashion, to the various requests it will be called upon to meet.

The new “General Directorate of Personnel” will maintain close links with the Secretariat for the Economy, the Labour Office of the Apostolic See, the Pension Fund and the Governorate of Vatican City State, as well as with the independent evaluation commission for the recruitment of lay personnel to the Apostolic See (CIVA).

This is a step of great importance on the path of reform initiated by the Holy Father.

First Sermon of Lent

At 9.00 this morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, S.J., director of the Aletti Centre, held the first Sermon of Lent, entitled “Taking the axe to the root”.

The theme of the Lenten meditations is the following: “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother” (John 19: 25), Mary in the Paschal mystery of Christ.

The next Sermons of Lent will be held on Friday 20 and 27 March and 3 April.