By Vatican News
At the 15th General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops on Wednesday, delegates elected the new members of the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
Pope Francis made a modification to the current Instruction governing the Assembly’s work, increasing the total number of members to 17, according to a statement released by the Synod Secretariat.
Of these, 12 were elected in the afternoon from among the diocesan/eparchial bishops or equivalents who are part of the Assembly: one from the Eastern Catholic Churches, one from Oceania, and two each from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
In addition to these, the Pope will appoint four members, as well as, in due course, the head of the Dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for the theme of the next Synod.
As stated in the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio (n. 24, 1-3), the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat is responsible for preparing and implementing the Ordinary General Assembly.
Members of the Ordinary Council begin their term at the end of the Ordinary General Assembly that elected them, they are members of the next Ordinary General Assembly, and their mandate concludes when that Assembly is dissolved.
Chaired by the Holy Father, the Council is an essential part of the General Secretariat.
The new Ordinary Council will play a key role both in implementing this synodal process on synodality and in preparing for the next Synod.
Cardinal Mario Grech, in wishing the newly elected members well in their work, also expressed gratitude to the outgoing members for their valuable collaboration in bringing the current synodal process to fruition.
The elected members are:
From the Eastern Catholic Churches
His Beatitude Youssef ABSI, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek Melkites, Head of the Synod of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church
From Oceania
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Timothy John COSTELLOE, S.D.B., Archbishop of Perth (Australia)
From North America
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Daniel Ernest FLORES, Bishop of Brownsville (United States of America)
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. Alain FAUBERT, Bishop of Valleyfield (Canada)
From Latin America
His Eminence Most Rev. Card. Luis José RUEDA APARICIO, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia)
His Excellency Most Rev. Msgr. José Luis AZUAJE AYALA, Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela)
From Europe
His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Marc AVELINE, Archbishop of Marseille (France)
His Excellency Msgr Gintaras GRUŠAS, Archbishop of Vilnius (Lithuania)
From Africa
Cardinal Dieudonné NZAPALAINGA, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)
H.E. Msgr. Andrew FUANYA NKEA, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon)
From Asia
His Eminence Cardinal Filipe Neri António Sebastião DO ROSÁRIO FERRÃO, Archbishop of Goa and Damão (India)
His Excellency Msgr. Pablo Virgilio S. DAVID, Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines)
To this list, Pope Francis will appoint four other members.
The members who will conclude their mandate with the sixteenth assembly are:
His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III YOUNAN, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Head of the Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church (Lebanon)
Cardinal Christoph SCHÖNBORN, O.P., Archbishop of Vienna (Austria)
Cardinal Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Bombay, President of the Episcopal Conference (India)
Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LACROIX, I.S.P.X., Archbishop of Quebec, (Canada)
Cardinal Charles Maung BO, S.D.B., Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar)
Cardinal Daniel Fernando STURLA BERHOUET, S.D.B., Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay)
Cardinal Dieudonné NZAPALAINGA, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Bangui (Central African Republic)
Cardinal Sérgio da ROCHA, Archbishop of Brasilia (Brazil)
Cardinal Joseph William TOBIN, C.SS.R., Archbishop of Newark (United States of America)
Cardinal Juan José OMELLA OMELLA, Archbishop of Barcelona (Spain)
Cardinal Joseph COUTTS, Archbishop of Karachi (Pakistan)
Cardinal Matteo Maria ZUPPI, Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)
H.E. Archbishop Gabriel MBILINGI, C.S.Sp., Archbishop of Lubango (Angola)
H.E. Archbishop Anthony Colin FISHER, O.P., Archbishop of Sydney (Australia)
H.E. Archbishop Jaime CALDERÓN CALDERÓN, Bishop of Tapachula (Mexico)
H.E. Mons. Andrew FUANYA NKEA, Archbishop of Bamenda (Cameroon) – Vatican News
