This afternoon, at 16.00, the meeting of the Council of Cardinals took place. Also in this case, the meeting took place online due to the health situation.

The participants were Their Eminences Cardinal Óscar A. Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Cardinal Oswald Gracias, and Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, O.F.M. Cap.; and from the Vatican, Their Eminences Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, and the secretary of the Council, Bishop Marco Mellino.

The Holy Father also participated in the meeting, linking up from Santa Marta.

After a brief greeting from Pope Francis, the new member of the Council, Cardinal Ambongo Besungo, metropolitan archbishop of Kinshasa, was presented to the participants, and various contributions were offered regarding the life of the Church in the various continents, especially in the current healthcare situation.

The secretary of the Council summarised the steps taken in the drafting of the text of the new Apostolic Constitution, while in the meantime the observations, amendments and proposals received from the Dicasteries questioned in recent months are being studied.

The next meeting is scheduled for the month of February.