Synod, electing new members of the Ordinary Council

Vatican News

During the Fifteenth General Council of the Synod of Bishops, the new members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod were elected. Concerning the current teaching, which regulates the work of the Assembly, the Pope introduced an amendment bringing the total number of members to 17, twelve of whom were elected in the afternoon from among the diocesan/diocesan bishops or equivalent members. Members of this association: 1 from the Eastern Catholic Churches, 1 from Oceania, 2 respectively from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Four members by papal appointment

To these will be added four members by papal appointment and, in due course, the head of the Roman Curia concerned with the subject of the upcoming council. According to the Apostolic Constitution Episcopal Church (No. 24, 1-3), the Ordinary Council of the Secretariat is responsible for preparing and implementing the Ordinary General Assembly.

In office at the end of the meeting

Members of the Ordinary Council shall assume office at the end of the Ordinary General Assembly that elected them; They are members of the subsequent Ordinary General Assembly and cease their term upon the dissolution of the latter. The Council, headed by the Pope, is an integral part of the General Secretariat. The new Ordinary Council will play an essential role in implementing this conciliar process and in preparing for the next Synod. In wishing the newly elected members a job well done, Cardinal Mario Grech thanked the outgoing members for their invaluable cooperation in implementing the current synodal process.

Members

The elected members are:

From the Eastern Catholic Churches

His Beatitude Yousef Al-Absi, Patriarch of Antioch for the Melkite Greeks and President of the Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church

From Oceania

Monsignor Timothy John Costello, SDB, Archbishop of Perth (Australia)

From North America

Monsignor Daniel Ernest Flores, Bishop of Brownsville (USA)

Monsignor Alain Faubert, Bishop of Valleyfield (Canada)

From Latin America

Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia)

Monsignor José Luis Azuaje Ayala, Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela)

From Europe

Cardinal Jean-Marc Avelin, Archbishop of Marseille (France)

Monsignor Gintaras Grosas, Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania)

From Africa

Cardinal Dieudonné Nzabalinga, Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)

Monsignor Andrew Fwanya Nkiya, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon)

From Asia

Cardinal Felipe Neri Antonio Sebastião do Rosario Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa and Damao (India)

Monsignor Pablo Virgilio S. David, Bishop of Caloocan (Philippines)

Pope Francis will appoint four more members to this list.

Conclusion of the mandate

The members whose term will end with the convening of the Sixteenth Assembly are:

His Beatitude Ignace Joseph III Younan, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, President of the Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church (Lebanon)

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna (Austria)

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and President of the Episcopal Conference (India)

Cardinal Gérald-Cyprien Lacroix, ISPX, Archbishop of Quebec, (Canada)

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, SDB, Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar).

Cardinal Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhoit, Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay)

Cardinal Dieudonné Nzabalinga, Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)

Cardinal Sergio da Roca, Archbishop of Brasilia (Brazil)

Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, CSSR, Archbishop of Newark (USA)

Cardinal Juan José Omella Omilla, Archbishop of Barcelona (Spain)

Cardinal Joseph Coates, Archbishop of Karachi (Pakistan)

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zoppi, Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)

Monsignor Gabriel Mbilenge, CSSP, Archbishop of Lubango (Angola)

Monsignor Anthony Colin Fisher, Archbishop of Sydney (Australia)

Monsignor Jaime Calderon Calderon, Bishop of Tapachula (Mexico)

Monsignor Andrew Fwanya Nkiya, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon).