Vatican outlines Thursday discussions between Pope, Cardinals

Vatican City, Mar 23, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Today, the Vatican released the official account of Thurday’s Day of Prayer and Reflection, in which Pope Benedict and members of the College of Cardinals discussed four key issues facing the Catholic Church today. The meeting came ahead of this morning’s Public Ordinary Consistory in which 15 new cardinals were created.

The four topics, according to a Vatican communiqué released this morning, included first, the mission of bishops emeritus within the Church, second, efforts which should be and are being made toward the reconciliation of members of the Fraternity of St. Pius X, third, liturgical reform and use of the St. Pius X Latin Missal, and lastly, the Church’s position toward Islam.

150 of theChurch’s 193 cardinals were on hand for the meetings held, in theVatican’s Synod Hall. 15 new cardinals who were incorporated into the College Friday morning were also present.

The Holy See said that the meetings--done in the same format as those preceding last year’s papal conclave--focused on four main subjects laid out by the Pope himself.

The first two topics of discussion were raised, respectively, by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy and president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."

The third and fourth were raised by Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments,and Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano.

The all-day meetings included open discussion and debate. According to the Vatican, various cardinals contributed, including some of the 15 who were made cardinals today.