Boston Cardinal Sean O'malley Appointed to Advisory Board for Pope Dubbed "Most Important Step in the History of the Church for the Past 10 Centuries"

Daily Mail
April 15, 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2309419/Sean-OMalley-Boston-cardinal-imposed-zero-tolerance-clerical-sex-abuse-appointed-board-bishops-advise-pope.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

The head of the Roman Catholic church in Boston is among eight cardinals named by Pope Francis to advise him on running the church and reforming the Vatican bureaucracy.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley, known for imposing a 'zero tolerance' policy on clerical sex abuse in his archdiocese of Boston, was given the honor by the Vatican on Saturday.

The group includes only one current Vatican official, with the rest being cardinals from Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia. They will hold their first meeting Oct. 1-3, though the group are reportedly already in communication with the Pope.

Adviser: Cardinal Sean O'Malley, pictured, was selected to Pope Francis' advisory panel on Saturday

Pope Francis made the revolutionary decision to appoint advisers following suggestions that emerged during meetings in the run-up to the conclave that elected him.

A reform of the Vatican bureaucracy was a constant drumbeat ahead of Pope Francis' election, as well as calls for making the Vatican more responsive to the needs of bishops around the world.

The Italian church historian Alberto Melloni described the move as the 'most important step in the history of the church for the past 10 centuries,' in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

It's the first time a pope will be helped by a global panel of advisers.

Leader: Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, pictured left, will lead the panel which also includes archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, right

Leader: Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, pictured left, will lead the panel which also includes archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, right

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, the archbishop of Tegucigalpa in Honduras and head of the global charity Caritas Internationalis will lead the panel.

The dynamic figure plays the saxophone and piano, has trained as a pilot, speaks six languages and has long been a critic of economic inequality.

Other leaders were chosen to represent the six continents, with O'Malley waving the flag for America and George Pell, the archbishop of Sydney, elected to represent Australia.

Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, the archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is another savvy figure selected. Only one member is Italian: Giuseppe Bertello, the governor of the Vatican City State.

Important: The move by Pope Francis, pictured, has been described as the 'most important step in the history of the church for the past 10 centuries'

In a statement, the group said they had been entrusted with drawing up a scheme 'for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus.'

The Curia dates from 1988 though the last thorough shake-up of was by Pope Paul VI more than four decades ago.

O'Malley's appointment underscores his seemingly close relationship with Pope Francis and his reputation as a reformer.

In the first month as pope, Francis has almost daily broken with tradition, including his decision to live in a relatively modest Vatican residence rather than the grand papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.