Pope appoints Cardinal Advincula to Vatican office that selects bishops
Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila as among the new members of the Vatican department that helps him choose future bishops globally.
The Dicastery for Bishops is the second Vatican office of which Advincula is a member since becoming a cardinal two years ago.
In December 2020, the pope appointed Advincula as a member of the Congregation for the Clergy.
The new appointments announced on Wednesday also include two religious sisters and one consecrated virgin, the first time women have been appointed to the dicastery.
Here is the list of the pope’s appointments as Dicastery members:
Cardinal Anders Arborelius, OCD, bishop of Stockholm (Sweden)
Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, archbishop of Manila (Philippines)
Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops
Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Cardinal-elect Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy
Cardinal-elect Jean-marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille (France)
Cardinal-elect Oscar Cantoni, bishop of Como (Italy)
Archbishop Dražen Kutleša, archbishop of Split-makarska (Croatia)
Bishop Paul Desmond Tighe, secretary of the former Pontifical Council for Culture
Father Dom Donato Ogliari, OSB, abbot of the Abbey of San Paolo fuori le Mura and Apostolic Administrator of the Territorial Abbey of Montecassino (Italy)
Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, secretary general of the Governorate of the Vatican City State
Sister Yvonne Reungoat, FMA, former Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
Dr. Maria Lia Zervino, president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations
According to Vatican News, the nomination of Zervino also marks the first appointment ever of a laywoman to the Vatican dicastery.
The members of the dicastery assist in choosing bishops for the dioceses. They analyze position papers, called ponenze, providing an opinion on candidates.
The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses.
Usually, the pope’s representative in a country, the apostolic nuncio, passes on recommendations and documentation to the Vatican.
The Dicastery of Bishops then discusses the appointment in a further process and takes a vote. On being presented with the recommendations, the pope makes the final decision.
The Congregation of Bishops, a department of the Roman Curia, recently changed its name to the Dicastery for Bishops, in line with the new constitution that underpins the reform of the Vatican by Pope Francis. Catholic