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TheCouncil of Cardinals (Italian:Consiglio dei cardinali,Latin:Consilium Cardinalium Summo Pontifici,lit. 'Council of Cardinals to the Supreme Pontiff'; also calledC9 because it contained ninecardinal members for a time) orCouncil of Cardinal Advisers is a group of cardinals of theCatholic Church appointed byPope Francis to serve as his advisers. The council was formally established on 28 September 2013.
The Council of Cardinals has been named under abbreviations referring to the number of cardinals advisers which, over time, it has comprised:[1] C8 (eight cardinals),[2] C9 (nine cardinals), C6 (six cardinals), and C7 (seven cardinals).[1]
The appointment of a group of eight advisers and one secretary to support the pope and the reform of theRoman Curia was announced on 13 April 2013, one month after his election.[3][4][5] The same group was formally established as the Council of Cardinals on 28 September of the same year by achirograph ofPope Francis.[6][7]
Secretary of StatePietro Parolin was added as a member of the council in July 2014.[8] The Holy See used the expression "Council of the nine" (Consiglio dei nove in Italian) in September 2014.[9]
In 2018,Marco Mellino was named as adjunct secretary[10][11] to the council's secretaryMarcello Semeraro.[4] Pope Francis also removed the eldest three of the council's nine members in late 2018.[12][13]
Francis appointed another cardinal as a member in 2020, and also replaced secretary Marcello Semeraro with Marco Mellino.[14][15]
In March 2023, three cardinal advisers were removed, and five new cardinal advisers were appointed; the three other cardinals and the secretary were re-appointed. This made the current total of nine cardinal advisers and one secretary.[16][17][18] On 24 April 2023, the renewed Council of Cardinals held their first meeting, over which Pope Francis presided.[19]
In February 2024, the role of women was discussed.[20] Anglican BishopJo Bailey Wells,Salesian Sister Linda Pocher andconsecrated virgin Goiliva Di Berardino addressed the Council "on the role of women in the Church.”[21]
On 15 April 2024, the Council met, in the presence of Pope Francis.[22]
On 17 June, the third meeting of the Council of 2024 began, with the presence of Pope Francis.[23]
On 13 April 2013, theHoly See stated the cardinals had been appointed "to advise [the Pope] in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising theApostolic Constitution on theRoman Curia, 'Pastor Bonus'".[3] In achirograph dated 28 September 2013, Pope Francis stated the Council had the goal "of assisting me in the governance of the universal Church and of studying a project for the revision of the Apostolic ConstitutionPastor Bonus on the Roman Curia", and that "said Council will be a further expression ofepiscopal communion and assistance to themunus petrinum which the Episcopate across the world is able to offer".[7]
The Council of Cardinals was thus created primarily to assistPope Francis in the reform of the Roman Curia. Said reform waspromulgated in 2022 through the apostolic constitutionPraedicate evangelium. The Council continues to exist and to perform various activities, despite having achieved its main goal.[1]
Due to the advisory role of the body, some publications have likened it to aprivy council.[24][25]
The council currently comprises nine cardinals, assisted by BishopMarco Mellino as its secretary:[16][17][18]
Pietro Parolin,Cardinal Secretary of State (since 2014)[8]
Fernando Vérgez AlzagaLC,President Emeritus of the Governorate of Vatican City State andPresident Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (since 2023)[16][26]
Fridolin Ambongo BesunguOFMCap,Archbishop of Kinshasa (since 2020)[14][27]
Oswald Gracias,Archbishop of Bombay (since 2013)[3][4]
Seán Patrick O'MalleyOFMCap,Archbishop of Boston andPresident of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (since 2013)[4]Juan José Omella,Archbishop of Barcelona (since 2023)[16][26]
Gérald LacroixISPX,Archbishop of Quebec (since 2023)[16][26]
Jean-Claude HollerichSJ,Archbishop of Luxembourg (since 2023)[16][26]
Sérgio da Rocha,Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (since 2023)[16][26]At the time of its formation, the council had eight members. Cardinal Parolin was not among the council's original membership, but attended the meetings regularly and, in July 2014, was confirmed by theHoly See Press Office as a ninth member of the council.[28]
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