The Pope appoints pontifical commissioner for the Heralds of the Gospel

Brasilia, Brazil, Sep 28, 2019 / 13:58 pm

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Archbishop Emeritus of Aparecida, as pontifical commissioner for the Heralds of the Gospel, after studying the documentation of the apostolic visit to the group initiated on June 23, 2017.

The apostolic visit and the decision of the Pope to appoint a pontifical commissioner were due to a series of shortcomings "in the style of governance, the life of the members of the Council, vocation ministry, the formation of new vocations, the administration, the construction management and resource management," the Holy See said, according to an article published by Vatican News.

"Both in this case, and in similar cases, the decision of the Holy See should not be considered a punishment, but as an initiative aimed at the good of the (involved) institutions to try to solve the existing problems," the article noted.

The apostolic visit, carried out by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life to the three branches of the Heralds of the Gospel, issued a series of conclusions that were studied by Pope Francis before he assigned a pontifical commissioner.

The Heralds of the Gospel were founded by the priest João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, after the division of the Tradition, Family and Property Association (TFP), founded in Brazil in the 1950s by Plinio Correa de Oliveira.

The Heralds were recognized by the then-Pontifical Council for the Laity on February 22, 2001 as a private association of the faithful under pontifical law. They are currently present in more than 70 countries.

Cardinal Damasceno will be accompanied by Msgr. José Aparecido Gonçalves de Almeida, Auxiliary Bishop of Brasilia, and by Sister Marian Ambrosio, Superior of the Sisters of Divine Providence as coadjutors.