Pope Francis

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-09/pope-francis-homily-daily-mass-examination-conscience.html#.W45o5YmHtSo.twitter

Pope at Mass: Make an examination of conscience every day
04 September 2018, 12:06

Daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
At the Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday, Pope Francis said that in the heart of each person “the spirit of the world” and the “Spirit of God” confront one another every day.
By Barbara Castelli

A person’s heart is like a “battlefield” where two different “spirits” confront one another: one, the Spirit of God, leads us “to good works, to charity, to fraternity”; the other, that of the world, pushes us “towards vanity, pride, sufficiency, gossiping.” That was Pope Francis’ message in the homily during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday.

The Pope was reflecting on the first reading, in which “the Apostle Paul teaches the Corinthians the way to think like Christ” – a path that is characterized by abandonment to the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit, in fact, that leads us to “know Jesus,” to share His “sentiments,” to understand His heart.
 

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Video at the link

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-september-prayer-youth-africa.html#play

Pope's September prayer intention: For young people in Africa
04 September 2018, 16:01

Pope Francis on Tuesday released a video message accompanying his prayer intention for September, which this month is "For young people in Africa".

In his prayer intention for the month of September 2018, Pope Francis says: "Let us pray that young people in Africa may have access to education and work in their own countries."

It has become the custom of Pope Francis to release a video message detailing his prayer intention for each month.

The full text of his intention is below:

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/09/04/vatican-issues-updated-papal-schedule-for-baltics-trip-sept-22-25/

Vatican issues updated papal schedule for Baltics trip Sept. 22-25
Cindy Wooden   Sep 4, 2018
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

The Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul is seen May 31 in the historic area of Tallinn, Estonia. Twenty-five years after St. John Paul II visited Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Pope Francis will make the same three-nation visit Sept. 22-25, stopping at a number of the same places as his saint-predecessor. (Credit: Valada Kalnina/EPA via CNS.)

ROME - Updating the schedule for Pope Francis’s trip to the Baltics Sept. 22-25, the Vatican said the trip will include a prayer in Vilnius, Lithuania, at a monument to members of the city’s Jewish community who perished under Nazi occupation.

The Vatican published on Sept. 4 a detailed schedule for the pope’s trip to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, adding times for events that had been listed without them when the first schedule was published in early July.

The only addition to the itinerary, which includes visits to important Marian shrines and to places commemorating the nations’ fight for liberty, is the stop for prayer Sept. 23 at the monument to victims forced by the Nazis into the Vilnius Ghetto. Under Nazi occupation, the city’s Jewish population went from an estimated 40,000 to zero; most were taken in groups to the woods outside the city and shot.

Here is the updated scheduled released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses.

Saturday, Sept. 22 (Rome, Vilnius)
 

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Vigano...
Responds to Vatican pushback(Kim Davis)

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archbishop-vigano-responds-to-vatican-pushback-about-popes-meeting-with-kim

Tue Sep 4, 2018 - 11:48 am EST
Archbishop Viganò responds to Vatican pushback about Pope’s meeting with Kim Davis

ROME, September 4, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has responded to Vatican pushback against his statement on Pope Francis’ meeting with Kim Davis, saying the majority of claims made by Fr. Thomas Rosica and Fr. Federico Lombardi are “in their imagination.”

Viganò also said the media now needs to “deal with the real problem: that Francis covered up for McCarrick for five years, allowing him to claim other victims.”

On Sunday, Fr. Federico Lombardi and Fr. Thomas Rosica — who handled the Holy See’s press response to Pope Francis’ private meeting with Kim Davis in 2015 — issued a joint statement disputing Viganò’s three-page account detailing the circumstances surrounding Pope Francis’ private meeting with Kim Davis on September 24, 2015.

In their statement, Rosica and Lombardi admitted to the “fact that Viganò had spoken the night before the meeting (with Kim Davis) with the pope and his collaborators and had received a consensus.”

Lombardi and Rosica claimed, however, that Archbishop Viganò told them privately the Pope felt “deceived” by him, not because of Davis’ stand against the legalization of same-sex “marriage,” but because of her marital history.
 
“From now on, I have nothing more to add. Now it is up to the media not to let it go, and to continue to do their part,” Viganò said.

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-audience0.html#.W4-kyd-2Bj8.twitter

Pope Audience: Discern true rest from false rest
05 September 2018, 09:29

Pope Francis at his general audience   (ANSA)
Joining tourists and faithful in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Pope Francis during his General Audience focuses on the Commandment, " Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day."

The Pope told those gathered that resting on Sunday was not “a mere escape or diversion, but a command to imitate God himself, who on the seventh day rested from his works and contemplated the goodness of his creation.”

False rest and true rest

He pointed out that there was “false rest and true rest”.  Society, he said, was thirsty for entertainment and holidays. The image-model, the Pope continued, was “that of a successful person who can afford different kinds of pleasure. But this mentality, he noted, slips towards the dissatisfaction of an anesthetized existence of entertainment that is not rest, but alienation and escape from reality.  Man has never rested as much as today, yet man has never experienced as much emptiness as today.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/general-audience-on-the-commandments-keeping-the-lords-day/
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On the Commandments & Keeping the Lord’s Day 
September 05, 2018 10:11

Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-09/pope-francis-homily-daily-mass-accuse-oneself-not-others.html#.W5EPn2kxN4U.twitter

Pope at Mass: We must accuse ourselves, not others
06 September 2018, 11:02

Mass at the Casa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
The salvation that comes from Jesus is not cosmetic, but transforms us. In order to receive that salvation, we have to recognize that we are sinners – and accuse ourselves, not others. That was the message of Pope Francis Thursday morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta.
By Debora Donnini

We need to recognize that we are sinners: without learning to accuse ourselves, we cannot walk in the Christian life.  That was the heart of Pope Francis’ message in the homily for the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The morning Eucharistic celebrations in the chapel at the papal residence recommenced Monday following the summer break.

The reflection of Pope Francis on Thursday took its point of departure from the day’s Gospel reading, from St Luke (Lk 5:1-11), in which Jesus preaches from the boat of Peter, and then invites Peter to cast his nets into the deep waters.  When they had done this, the Gospel says, “they caught a great number of fish.”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-consecrated-widows.html

Pope to consecrated widows: Live a life of simplicity, humilty
06 September 2018, 12:56

2018.09.06 Partecipanti Convegno Internazionale Vedove consacrate  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis meets with participants attending an international conference for consecrated widows, inviting them to use their experiences to help the young and the poor, and to live a life of humility and simplicity.

In his prepared words to the women gathered, Pope Francis, underlined how "widowhood is a particularly difficult experience”, adding that some pour their energies into their children and grandchildren.

The Pope said that with their consecration, the widows showed that it was possible, with the support of members of the Church, to live a life of service by exercising their family, professional and social responsibilities.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-09/czech-ambassador-holy-see-kolaja.html

New Czech ambassador to Holy See starts mission
06 September 2018, 11:12

Pope Francis accepting the credentials of new Czech ambassador to the Holy See, Vaclav Kolaja, on September 6, 2018.  (Vatican Media)
Mr. Václav Kolaja presented his credentials to Pope Francis on Sept 6, at the start of his diplomatic mission to the Holy See.

Pope Francis on Thursday welcomed to the Vatican the new ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Holy See, Mr. Václav Kolaja.  At a formal ceremony in the Vatican, the 47-year old diplomat presented his credentials to the Pope at the start of his diplomatic mission.

Born on 14 June 1971 in Uherské Hradištĕ, Kolaja is married and father of two children.   He graduated in history from Prague’s Charles University in 1996.

Václav Kolaja has held the following positions:
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-parents.html#.W5Jc4v-s44w.twitter

Pope to Parents: Work together with schools
07 September 2018, 11:56

Pope Francis meeting with the Italian Parents Association in the Paul VI  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis in the Paul VI hall on Friday greets members of the Italian Parents Association which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The Italian Parents Association works to support parents in their commitment to family and education according to the principles of Christian ethics.

Parents and education

Praising the Association’s work with reference to the education of children at school, Pope Francis noted the alliance between families and the school system. But he also highlighted that at times this partnership is talked about as being under threat, such as, the family not appreciating the work of teachers, and schools feeling the invasive influence of parents.
 To change this situation, the Pope said, “someone must take the first step”, so that trust can be nurtured.

He stressed that without schools and teachers, parents ran the risk of being alone in their “educational activity and being less able to face the new educational challenges that come from contemporary culture, from society, from mass media, from new technologies.”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-interview-il-sole-24-ore.html#.W5I_dB9krnQ.twitter

Pope: Interview with Italian business daily "Il Sole 24 Ore"
07 September 2018, 06:49

In a wide-ranging interview with Italian national business newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore, Pope Francis engages with a variety of issues, including: economics, the environment, migrants, Europe, and peace.
By Christopher Wells

The interview with Il Sole 24 Ore revolves largely around socio-economic issues, with a strong focus on the common good. Without denying the importance of individual effort, Pope Francis emphasizes that a community can only grow as a whole people; “social life,” he says, “is not constituted by the sum of individualities, but by the growth of a people.”

Real growth in the community

He says that real growth can occur in a community when we “make room to welcome everyone’s collaboration.” Real growth, he continues, is result “of relationships sustained by tenderness and mercy,” rather than an exclusive focus on success that can lead to “exclusions and waste.”

Pope Francis takes the opportunity to clarify what he means by waste: “It is not simply a phenomenon recognized as the action of exploitation and oppression, but a truly new phenomenon.” The action of exclusion doesn’t simply deprive people of power or wealth, but actually rejects them, throws them out, casts them out of society.”
 
https://zenit.org/articles/pope-grants-1st-interview-ever-with-business-publication/
In Business, Pope Stresses People, Not Just Profit, Must Be at Center (In His 1st Interview Ever Granted to Business Publication) 
September 07, 2018 11:47

English transcript of interview at the link below--

http://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/notizie/2018-09-06/work-money-europe-migrants-an-interview-to-pope-francis-195352.shtml?uuid=AEvWFjlF
exclusive interview
Work, money, Europe, migrants: an interview to Pope Francis
–di Guido Gentili| 07 settembre 2018 |

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-new-bishops-mission-territories.html

Pope urges new bishops to be men of prayer, proclamation, communion
08 September 2018, 16:13

Pope Francis on September 8 met in the Vatican 75 newly-appointed bishops from the mission territories of 34 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania.

Pope Francis on Saturday met in the Vatican 75 newly-appointed bishops from the mission territories of 34 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania, and urged them to care for their flocks like the Good Shepherd, by being men of prayer, proclamation and communion.

The bishops are participating in a seminar that the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples has organized September 3-15 to help them in their ministry.

In a talk to them, Pope Francis said that a bishop is configured to Christ the Good Shepherd and Priest who does not live for himself but offers his life for his sheep, especially the weakest those most in danger, who are made to feel the Lord’s predilection through his gestures and words of comfort.

Men of prayer, proclamation, communion

As a man of prayer, the Pope said,  a bishop always brings his people and situations before God every day, becoming like Jesus the victim and altar for the salvation of his flock.

The second task of a bishop is to go out and proclaim the Gospel in places where the Lord is not known or is disfigured and persecuted, and not to remain seated in his office like a company manager or a prince.   In this duty, he should be a humble witness to the Gospel like Jesus, without giving in to the temptation of power, gratification, worldliness or projecting oneself, and without watering down the crucified and risen Jesus.

A bishop is a man who gathers people together to cement communion by humbly involving himself.   He is rooted in the territory, rejecting the temptation to move out of the diocese frequently, searching for his own glories.  Never tired of listening to his flock and priests, the Pope, said a bishop promotes fraternity showing they are pastors not for prestige, career or ambition but to feed the flock of God, not as masters but as models.

Clericalism, “leaderism”
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-benedictine-women-audience-hospitality.html

Pope praises Benedictines "remarkable vocation to hospitality"
08 September 2018, 11:59

Pope Francis meets with Benedictine women  (Vatican Media)
On Saturday morning, Pope Francis addressed participants in the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum Symposium.

By Christopher Wells

Benedictine sisters and nuns from all over the world are in Rome this week for the 8th International Symposium of the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum, the collection of all the communities of Benedictine women in the Church. On Saturday, participants in the Symposium were received by Pope Francis in an audience at the Vatican.

A vocation to hospitality

In his address to the Benedictines, the Holy Father focused on the theme of the Symposium, taken from the Rule of St Benedict: “All are to be welcomed in Christ.” This expression, he said, “has given the Benedictine Order a remarkable vocation to hospitality.” Benedictines are able to “offer the precious gift” of their witness to the “many people in the world who seek to reflect in their lives the tenderness, compassion, mercy, and acceptance in their lives.” In particular, he mentioned the welcome accorded to persons of different religious traditions through ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-09/pope-francis-angelus-suffering.html#.W5UENrkXKe4.twitter

Pope at Angelus: ‘do not be deaf or silent in the face of suffering'
09 September 2018, 12:20

Pope Francis greets the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Sunday Angelus  (AFP or licensors)
Pope Francis on Sunday invited the faithful not to “remain deaf and dumb” in the face of the suffering of people marked by disease, anguish and difficulties. He was addressing the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus Prayer.
By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis drew inspiration on Sunday from the Gospel reading of the day to invite all Christians not to turn away from the suffering of their brothers and sisters.

Speaking during the Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope reflected on the episode that tells of Jesus’ miraculous healing of a deaf and dumb man.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-the-miraculous-healing-of-the-deaf-mute/
Angelus Address: On the Miraculous Healing of the Deaf Mute 
September 09, 2018 15:09

Video at the link below--
https://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-09/press-release-pontifical-commission-protection-minors-plenary.html

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors concludes Plenary Assembly
09 September 2018, 18:25

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
The Holy Father has emphasized the primary importance of listening to victims /survivors and having their life stories guide the response of the Church in protecting minors from sexual abuse.  Members began by listening to two testimonies of people who were affected by clerical child sexual abuse, a victim/survivor and the mother of two adult survivors who were abused as children.  The Commission thanks them for sharing their stories with us, for the courage of their witness and for contributing to the learning process.

Members also reflected on the recent developments in the global church that have negatively affected so many people including victims/survivors, families and the community of faithful.  The questions that have been raised in recent months not only focus the public on the seriousness of abuse, they are an opportunity to call people to the mission of prevention so that the future will be different from our history. The Commission’s starting point is not to investigate abuses; our starting point is to prevent abuses.

Working with Survivors

During the Plenary Assembly the group of experts dedicated to Working with Survivors announced the launch of pilot projects, the first of which is in Brazil.  Building on the work of founding members, these projects are a mechanism to create safe spaces and transparent processes by which people who have been abused can come forward. Through these survivor advisory panels it is hoped the local church leadership will also benefit from the direct input of victims/survivors into how they can improve their child protection and safeguarding policies
 
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-09/cardinal-omalley-protection-minors-sexual-abuse.html
Card. O’Malley: Church leaders must listen to the voices of victims of abuse
09 September 2018, 13:08
 
Role of the Commission

Cardinal O’Malley agreed there is much confusion – in the public - about the Commission’s role and mandate and explained it is not a body that deals with past cases or particular situations of abuse.

“We are trying to change the future so it will not be a repeat of the sad history, and we do that making recommendations to the Holy Father and promoting best practices and guidelines that take into account safeguarding, prevention, educational programs that address the formation of leadership so that bishops, priests and religious will be equipped to be able to respond and put the safeguarding of children and the pastoral care of victims as their priority” he said.

In English we have a saying, O’Malley confided: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-09/pope-francis-homily-daily-mass-newness-gospel.html

Pope at Mass: Gospel newness does not permit a double life
10 September 2018, 12:23

Pope Francis preaches at the daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta  (Vatican Media)
Pope Francis preaches on the difference between the “novelties” of the world and the “newness” of Christduring the morning Mass on Monday at the Casa Santa Marta.
By Adriana Masotti

In his homily during the Mass on Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis pointed out that the Apostle was very angry with those who boasted of being “open Christians,” but in whom “the confession of Jesus Christ went hand in hand with a tolerated immorality”: “Brothers and sisters, it is widely reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans.” Those were the harsh words of rebuke, taken from the First Letter to the Corinthians, that St Paul addressed to the Christians there, noting that many of them were leading a double life. Paul recalled that “the yeast leavens all the dough,” and that it takes new leaven for new dough.
 
https://zenit.org/articles/santa-marta-no-double-lives-allowed/
Santa Marta: No Double Lives Allowed 
September 10, 2018 16:14

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http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/vatican-continues-not-to-cooperate-with-media-over-vigano-allegations

Sep. 10, 2018
Vatican Continues Not to Cooperate With Media Over Viganò Allegations

Despite Pope Francis’ call on journalists to verify Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s allegations, a key cardinal and other Vatican officials and offices have so far refused to provide information.
Edward Pentin

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, appointed prefect of Congregation for Bishops a little over two months before Archbishop Theodore McCarrick was appointed to Washington D.C., has so far been unwilling to speak to the press about Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s testimony.

He joins many other cardinals and Vatican officials unwilling to speak to the media on this issue, despite Pope Francis call on journalists to investigate the allegations made in the testimony.

“The Vatican is shut as hard and as tight as an unshucked oyster,” said the American columnist and author Rod Dreher.

Cardinal Re’s unwillingness to speak is particularly regrettable as he probably knows more than most about the McCarrick case, why and how he came to be archbishop of Washington D.C., and the precise nature of the sanctions or measures imposed on him. 

The Italian cardinal was prefect at the time of McCarrick’s nomination, but also, according to Archbishop Viganò’s testimony, was opposed to the appointment.
 

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-09/council-cardinals-pope-francis-curia-reform.html

Pope Francis oversees Council of Cardinals meeting
10 September 2018, 12:56

Pope Francis attends a meeting of the Council of Cardinal Advisors
Pope Francis oversees Council of Cardinals meeting

The so-called C9 – the Council of Cardinals – is gathered in the Vatican for a three-day meeting. The reform of the Roman Curia tops the agenda.

Pope Francis is present for the 26th meeting of the Council of Cardinal Advisors which is scheduled to take place in the Vatican until Wednesday.

The so-called C9, consists in 9 members appointed by the Pope to serve as his advisors in Church governance and in elaborating the reform of the Roman Curia and of the Apostolic Constitution.
 

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/09/10/vatican-promises-clarifications-to-pope-cover-up-claims/

Vatican promises ‘clarifications’ to pope cover-up claims
Nicole Winfield   Sep 10, 2018

ROME - The Vatican is preparing the “necessary clarifications” about accusations that top Vatican officials including Pope Francis covered up the sexual misconduct of a now-disgraced American cardinal, Francis’ top advisers said Monday.

In a statement, Francis’ nine cardinal advisers expressed their “full solidarity” with the pope over the scandal, which has thrown his papacy into crisis.

The cardinals, who are meeting at the Vatican this week, said they were aware that “the Holy See is working on formulating the potential and necessary clarifications.”

Francis has refused to respond to the 11-page document published Aug. 26 by the retired ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano.

Vigano named more than two dozen current and former Vatican officials and accused them of knowing about and covering up for ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who is accused of sexually molesting and harassing minors as well as adults.

Specifically, Vigano accused Francis of rehabilitating McCarrick from canonical sanctions imposed on him by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 or 2010.
 

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https://zenit.org/articles/just-out-the-holy-see-is-about-to-formulate-eventual-necessary-clarifications/

JUST OUT: The Holy See Is About to Formulate ‘Eventual,’ ‘Necessary Clarifications’ 

Full English Translation of Council of Cardinals’ Evening Statement, Noting ‘Full Solidarity’ With Pope Francis
September 10, 2018 19:48
 
The 26th meeting, Sept. 9-12, of the Council of Cardinals, also known as the ‘C9,’ presided over by Pope Francis is in progress. The Cardinal members are entrusted with working toward the reform of the Roman Curia. This evening the Council issued the following statement in Italian. Zenit brings you a full working translation in English:

**
Statement by the Council of Cardinals, 10.09.2018
—
The Council of Cardinals, in its 26th Session’s first meeting, arranging to deliver to the Holy Father the proposal for reforming the Roman Curia elaborated in the first five years of activity looking ahead to its continuation, decided to ask the Pope for a reflection on the work, structure and composition of the Council itself, also taking into account the advanced age of some of its members.
 
It formulated full solidarity with Pope Francis in the face of what has happened in recent weeks, aware that in the current debate, the Holy See is about to formulate the eventual and necessary clarifications.
Vatican City, 10 September 2018

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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/09/11/errazuriz-pulls-out-of-c9-meetings-due-to-unforeseen-events-in-chile/

Errázuriz pulls out of C9 meetings due to ‘unforeseen events’ in Chile
Elise Harris   Sep 11, 2018

Chilean Cardinal Francisco Errázuriz, a close papal advisor who is facing fierce backlash over allegations that he covered up for the country’s most notorious abuser priest, is not participating in this week’s round of advisory meetings in Rome.

According to Chilean paper La Tercera, Errázuriz, one of nine members of the Pope Francis’s Council of Cardinals, was unable to make the Sept 10-12 meetings due to “unforeseen events” in Chile.

The paper cited Church sources who said that due to the inconvenience, Francis excused Errázuriz from participating in the meetings, and that “there are no other reasons” for his absence.

The Vatican declined to comment on the report.