Pell Backs Greater Discipline Among Church Leaders

ABC News
April 14, 2013

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-14/pell-backs-greater-discipline-among-church-leaders/4628152

Cardinal George Pell will join a panel of cardinals selected by Pope Francis to reform the Catholic Church.

Cardinal George Pell says he would welcome a reduction in Italy's influence over the Vatican, as he prepares to join a committee appointed by the pope to reform the church's administrative body.

The Archbishop of Sydney has been selected by Pope Francis to sit on a committee that will look to reform the Curia, the administrative branch of the church.

Cardinal Pell, who is flying to Rome tonight for preliminary meetings, said the committee will lead to greater discipline in the upper echelons of the church, alluding to last year's leaking of secret papal documents by Emeritus Pope Benedict's butler.

A cardinal from each continent has been selected to form the committee, a move that Cardinal Pell says is reflective of the church's changing demographics.

"Most of the people who work in the Curia are fine people. There was one on two mishaps," he said.

"Quite a few Italians work in the Curia. The chairman of this group is an Italian, Cardinal Bertelo.

"But I think different perspectives will be useful and I think a few English-speaking perspectives won't hurt."

Dr Michelle Rodrigues from Catholic Voices Australia said the committee has been established to help introduce the church's biggest administrative changes in nearly 50 years.

She said it was a signal from Pope Francis that he was keen to reform the church.

"It is certainly something that all Catholics that I have spoken with are quite happy to hear about," she told ABC News 24.

"This was an important step for him and I think this was definitely something that he took very seriously and he's obviously listened to the cardinals ... this was raised as an issue in the lead-up to the conclave by the cardinals.

"This support structure ensures that he and the Vatican are accountable, that he continues to listen to the universal Catholic Church and he is reflecting that universal nature in decision-making and reform."

Dr Rodrigues said it is unclear what is on the agenda and what changes are likely to come out of the committee.

"I think that if we are to judge what is already happened and look forward, we can expect great things to happen," she said.

"I think that things will evolve slowly at a pace that ensures that things are done in a constructive way, in a very considered way and certainly one that aims to take the church in a positive direction.

"This ensures that really the decision-making is informed and it is informed by people who are coming from different parts of the world."

The committee's first official gathering will take place in October.