VATICAN (CNS): Pope Francis will review the finalised draft of the apostolic constitution that would govern the Roman Curia, Greg Burke, the Vatican spokesman, said on June 13.
 
The provisionally titled, Praedicate Evangelium (Preach the Gospel), was reviewed by the international Council of Cardinals and the draft will be “given to the Holy Father for the considerations he deems opportune, useful and necessary,” Burke said explaining that the title is still subject to change, and the pope may choose to share it with others for feedback.
 
An early draft was reviewed by Pope Francis and the council during their last meeting held from April 23 to 25.
 
The document emphasises four points: the Roman Curia is at the service of the pope and the local Churches throughout the world; the work of the Curia must have a pastoral character; the new section in the Vatican Secretariat of State would oversee the training, assigning and ministry of Vatican nuncios and diplomats around the world; and the proclamation of the gospel and a missionary spirit must characterise the activity of the Curia.
 
The Council of Cardinals, which met at the Vatican from June 11 to 13, also released a seven-page report detailing work it has accomplished since its creation on 13 April 2013.
 
After studying various proposals, analyses from Vatican offices, bishops’ conferences, “the council will deliver to the Holy Father a first organic text of proposals in view of the preparation of a new apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia,” the report stated.
 
The meeting was the 25th gathering of the council with the pope. 
 
Among the members of the council are: Pietro Cardinal Parolin, Vatican secretary of state; Oscar Rodriguez Cardinal Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Sean Cardinal O’Malley of Boston; Oswald Cardinal Gracias of Mumbai, India;  Francisco Errazuriz Cardinal Ossa, retired archbishop of Santiago, Chile; Reinhard Cardinal Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany; Laurent Monsengwo Cardinal Pasinya of Kinshasa, Congo; and Giuseppe Cardinal Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City State.
 
The next meeting of the Council of Cardinals is scheduled for September 10 to 12, Burke said.