Pope Creates New Vatican Department for Laity, Family and Life

Catholic Herald
October 22, 2015

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/10/22/pope-creates-new-vatican-congregation-for-laity-family-and-life/

Pope Francis talks to Bishop Fabio Fabene and Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri outside the Vatican synod hall (AP)

Francis announces new dicastery at session of the family synod

Pope Francis has announced the creation of a new Vatican department for laity, family and life.

He made the announcement at this evening’s session of the family synod in Rome.

The new dicastery was proposed by the Council of Cardinals, the Pope’s closest cardinal-advisers.

It is currently unclear if the new department will be called a council or a congregation. It is also not know who will lead it.

The statutes of the new body are expected to be released in December.

According to a Vatican statement, the Holy Father told the synod fathers: “I have decided to establish a new dicastery with competency for laity, family and life, that will replace the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. The Pontifical Academy for Life will be joined to the new dicastery.

“To this end, I have constituted a special commission that will prepare a text delineating canonically the competencies of the new dicastery. The text will be presented for discussion to the Council of Cardinals at their next meeting in December.”