Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay has been appointed Co-ordinator of the Study Group that will evaluate the functioning and role of Papal Representatives in the Church worldwide. The Study Group will make suggestions to improve their functioning, so that they become more missionary – synodal. Involved in the study will be Officials of the Secretariat of State as also the Dicastery for Bishops and the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples.
After the October 2023 Session of the Synod on Synodality. Pope Francis had identified several items that needed specialized study. The Vatican communique clarified that some of the topics were chosen by the Holy Father himself. These subjects will not be discussed during the October 2024 Session of the Synod, but a brief report of the working plans of the Group will be presented to the Synodal Assembly.
Among the members of the Study Group is Cardinal Mario Grech, head of the Synod Secretariat, Archbishop Luciano Russo, Secretary for Papal Representatives, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, President of the Pontifical Academy for the formation of diplomatic personnel of the Holy See. This Study group has already begun its work with several meetings in Rome with Officials of Secretariat of State and Presidents of Episcopal Conferences from different continents. The work of this group is expected to be completed possibly by June 2025.
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Archdiocese of Bombay