• December 27
  Photographs and biographies of the members of the College of Cardinals as of December 19, 2016, Holy See Press Office.

• December 23
  Catalogs of cardinals participating in the Synods of Bishops (2005-2015).

• December 22
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that at 10:30 a.m., in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the Cardinals and Superiors of the Roman Curia for the presentation of the Christmas greetings. At the beginning, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered a brief salutation to the pope. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-12-22.

• December 19
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 291 (47.426), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 19-20 dicembre 2016, informed that in the afternoon of Sunday, December 18, 2016, Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, archbishop of Bangui, Central African Republic, solemnly took possession of the title of Sant’Andrea della Valle. In the Roman church located at piazza Vidoni 6, the cardinal was welcomed by the rector, Father Carlos Gómez Ruiz, Theat., who presented him the crucifix for the kissing and veneration. After aspersing the faithful with holy water, the cardinal celebrated Mass. Among those present were the representative of the United Nations and head of the mission of U.N.O. in the Central Africa Republic, Onanga-Anyanga Parfait; and the commandant of the Corps of the Vatican Gendarmerie, Domenico Giani. The rite was directed by Monsignor Vincenzo Peroni, pontifical cerimoniere.

• December 17
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis concelebrated a Mass in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace with the Cardinals and some bishop of the Roman Curia to celebrate his 80th birthday. Concelebrating with the pope at the altar were Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals; and Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. The pope delivered the homily.

• December 16
  The Archdiocese of São Paulo informed that the exequies for Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M., arhbishop emeritus of São Paulo, at 3 p.m., in the metropolitan cathedral, presided by Cardinal Odilio Pedro Scherer, archbishop of São Paulo. Concelebrating were Cardinals Cláudio Hummes, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of São Paulo; Eusébio Scheidt, archbishop emeritus of Rio de Janeiro; Orani João Tempesta, O.Cist., archbishop of Rio de Janeiro; Raymundo Damasceno Assis, archbishop emeritus of Aparecida; and Sérgio da Rocha, archbishop of Brasília and president of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference; together with numeorus bishops and 180 priests. Present were other religious, civil and military authorities. At the beginning of the ceremony, Cardinal Scherer read the testament of the late cardinal. After the celebration of the funeral mass, the casket was carried by priests to the cyrpt of the cathedral hwere Cardinal Scherer said the final rites before the burial of Dom Paulo. After the burial, hundreds of faithful visited the tomb of Cardinal Arns. A Mass of the Seventh Day will be celebrated for Dom Paulo in all the parishes of the archdiocese on December 21 at the time they determine. In the metropolitan cathedral the mass will be presided by Cardinal Scherer at 5 p.m.

• December 14
  The Archdiocese of São Paulo informed that during the evening Masses have been celebrated every two hours in the wake of Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M. The first Mass was celebrated at 8:00 p.m. and was presided by Cardinal Odilio Pedro Scherer, archbishop of São Paulo; and the second, at 10:00 p.m., presided by Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, who succeeded Dom Paulo at the head of the archdiocese between 1998 and 2006.

• December 14
  The Vatican Press Office published, the message that the Holy Father sent to Cardinal Odilio Pedro Scherer, archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil, for the death of Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of that metropolitan see.

• December 14
  Comunicado. Funeral do Cardeal Paulo Evaristo Arns Arcebispo Emérito de São Paulo, Dom Devair Araújo da Fonseca, Auxiliary Bishop of São Paulo, Episcopal Vicar for the Pastoral of Communications.

• December 14
  The archdiocese of São Paulo informed the following:
  The body of Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, arrived at the Cathedral around 8:00 p.m. for the wake. At the age of 95, Dom Paulo died on Wednesday morning, December 14. Carried by priests of the Archdiocese, the coffin with the remains of Cardinal Arns was greeted with applause from the faithful who came to give the last goodbye to Dom Paulo. The wake began with a Mass presided over by the Archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer. Masses will be celebrated every two hours. The wake will continue uninterruptedly until Friday, December 16. The burial will be after the last mass which will be celebrated at 3 p.m. The celebrations will be broadcast on TV Ultrafarma at this link.

• December 14
  Folha de S. Paulo informed that Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, Brazil, died today at 11:45 a.m. at the Hospital Santa Catarina in that city. He had been hospitalized since November 28 with pneumonia. The funeral will be in the metropolitan cathedral of São Paulo but no date has been announced yet.

  After the death of Cardinal Arns, the number of cardinals is 227. The cardinal electors are 120; 21 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 55 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 44 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 107, of which 73 were created by Pope John Paul II; 23 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 11 by Pope Francis.

• December 14
  Briefing on the seventeenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals, 14.12.2016

  The director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, held a briefing early this afternoon on the seventeenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals with the Holy Father.

  “The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father on three days: Monday 12, Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December”, he explained. “All the members participated in the meetings, most of which the Pope attended. On Wednesday morning he was absent due to the general audience, as usual”.

  “Most of the consultations were again dedicated to the examination of the different dicasteries of the Curia, in view of the new Apostolic Constitution. In particular, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide), the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

  The missionary impulse and synodality were considered the two guidelines for reform of the dicasteries.

  The cardinals completed their study of the other dicasteries (Doctrine of the Faith, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Causes of Saints and Promoting Christian Unity), and submitted their definitive proposals to the Holy Father.

  The projects for the new dicasteries took up a considerable amount of time. Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell spoke about the dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, of which he is prefect. The debate centred on the role of the laity, with an invitation to all to reread the letter of Pope Francis to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

  Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson presented the plan for the dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, which unites four offices: Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Health Care Workers, and Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. Cardinal Turkson was accompanied by Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, who explained the new dicastery as the implementation of the Second Vatican Council Constitution Gaudium et Spes.

  Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M.Cap., presented the latest activities of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which he chairs, while Cardinal George Pell reported on the most recent developments regarding the Secretariat for the Economy, entrusted to him.

  This afternoon, Msgr. Dario E. Viganò, prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, will present the progress made and the steps yet to be taken for the reform of the Holy See communications, with particular attention to the formation of staff.

  The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for the days 13, 14 and 15 February 2017.

• December 13
  globo.com informed that Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, Brazil, is in grave condition in the Hospital Santa Catarina in São Paulo, suffering from bronchial pneumonia. The latest medical bulletin indicates that his kidney function is declining.

• December 12
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that this morning started the 17th meeting of the Holy Father with the Council of Cardinals. The work of the "Council of Nine" will continue until Wednesday Deecmber 14, 2016.

• December 10
  L'Osservatore Romano Anno CLVI n. 284 (47.419), Città del Vaticano, domenica 11 dicembre 2016, p. 7, informed that Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, archbishop of Bangui, Central African Republic, will take possession of the title of Sant’Andrea della Valle in the evening of Sunday December 18, 2016. The news was given by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff that specified that the celebration will take place at 6 p.m. in the Roman church situated in piazza Vidoni, 6.

• December 9
  Pope Francis accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the archdiocese of Khartoum, in Sudan, presented by Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako. He was succeeded by Michael Didi Adgum Mangoria, archbishop coadjutor of that archdiocese.

• December 8
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the archdiocese of Kraków, Poland, presented by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz. The pope named Marek Jędraszewski, until then metropolitan archbishop of Łódź, to succeed him.

• December 5
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 280 (47.415), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 5-6 dicembre 2016, p. 8, informed that on the tenth anniversary of the death of Cardinal Dino Monduzzi, who from 1986 to 1998 was prefect of the Pontifical Hosehold, there will be a Mass on Tuesday December 6, 2016, at 5 p.m., at the Altar of the Cathedra of the Papal Vatican Basilica. The ceremony will be presided by Cardinal James Michael Harvey, archpriest of the Papal Basilica of S. Paolo fuori le mura, successor of Cardinal Monduzzi as prefect until 2012.

• December 4
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 279 (47.414), Città del Vaticano, domenica 4 dicembre 2016, p. 5, informed that on December 5-6, 2016, in Rome, will take place the international conference «Il Papa e la guerra. Diplomazia curiale alla corte imperiale 1628-1635. Le pubblicazioni recenti della quarta sezione delle “Nuntiaturb erichte aus Deutschland”: un bilancio». The purpose of the conference is to re-define the relations between the Pope and the Imperial Court of Vienna at the end of the Thirty Years' War, confirming the value of the famous sources constituted by the reports coming from the nunciature, recently published. The period between 1628 and 1635 is considered one the most complex phases of that conflict and the dramatic upheavals of those years found echo in the official correspondence of the apostolic nuncios before the imperial court. An important partial solution for the empire occurred in 1635 with the Peace of Prague. Contemporaneously, the conviction that only through a general multilateral congress it would be possible to arrive to a lasting peace was maturing in the European Courts. In the conference will intervene, among others, Bishop Sergio Pagano, prefect of the Vatican Secret Archive, Alexander Koller, Silvano Giordano, Tomáš Černušák, Olivier Chaline and Olivier Poncet.

• December 3
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that the Holy Father named Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City, member of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.

• December 2
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that the Holy Father, on December 1, 2016, during an audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, authorized the Congregation to promulgate the decree concerning the heoirc virtues of the Servant of God Cardinal Guglielmo Massaia, O.F.M.Cap.

• November 17
  Additional information has been included in the biographical entries of the Archbishops of Sevilla, Spain, Cardinals Juan de Cervantes (1426); Diego Hurtado de Mendoza y Quiñones (1500); Gaspar de Zúñiga y Avellaneda (1570); Fernando Niño de Guevara (1596); Agustín Spínola (1621); Manuel Arias y Porres, O.S.Io.Hieros. (1713); Francisco Javier de Cienfuegos y Jovellanos (1826); Manuel Joaquín Tarancón y Morón (1858); Joaquín Lluch y Garriga, O.C.D. (1882); Marcelo Spínola y Maestre (1905); and José María Bueno y Monreal (1958), kindly provided by Mr. Mark West, from London, England.

• November 16
  The Vatican Press Office Raymundo Damasceno Assis. To succeed him, the Pope named Orlando Brandes, until then metropolitan archbishop of Londrina.

• November 15
  Cardinal Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Texas, United States of America, was elected president of the Episcopal Conference of that country for the triennium 2016-2019. Archbishop José Horacio Gómez of Los Angeles, California, was eleted vice-president of the Episcopal Conference.

• November 15
  puntoed informed that Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, has been named gran chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú (PUCP) for a period of five years. On November 3 of this year, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, issued a decree designating Cardinal Versaldi, in accordance with article 6 of the PUCP Statute.

• November 14
  Additional information concerning the episcopal consecrations of Cardinals Bernhard von Cles (1530); Carlo de Medici (1615); Ottavio Ridolfi (1622) Luigi Caetani (1626); Giulio Cesare Sacchetti (1626); Marzio Ginetti (1626); Stefano Durazzo (1633); Agostino Oreggi (1633); Pietro Vito Ottoboni (1652); Scipione Pannocchieschi d'Elci (1657); Camillo Massimi (1670); Vincenzo Ludovico Gotti, O.P. (1728); and Ludovico Flangini (1789), has been included in their biographical entries kindly provided by Mr. Charles N. Bransom, Jr., director and editor of Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales, and creator of the site Apostolic Succession & Episcopal Lineages in the Roman Catholic Church.

• November 13
  

  In the Sunday liturgy in the early evening the papal legates closed the Holy Door of the Jubilar Year of Mercy of their respective papal basilicas:

  Cardinal Agostino Vallini, archpriest of the papal basilica of San Giovanni Laterano, presided over the rite of closing of the Holy Door of that basilica in the Sunday liturgy.
  Cardinal Santos Abril y Castelló, archpriest of the papal basilca of Santa Maria Maggiore, presided over the rite of closing of the Holy Door of that basilica in the Sunday liturgy.
  Cardinal James Michael Harvey, archpriest of the papal basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura, presided over the rite of closing of the Holy Door of that basilica in the Sunday liturgy.

• September 24
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, India, special papal envoy to the Eleventh Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Episcopal Conferences of Asia (FABC), which will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from November 28 to December 4, 2016.

• September 17
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop emeritus of Westminster, England, special papal envoy to the consecration of the new Cathedral of the territorial Prelature of Trondheim, Norway, which will take place on November 19, 2016.

• September 14
  The Press Office of the Holy See reported the following:
  
  

  Briefing of the Director of the Press Office about the 16th Meeting of the Council of Cardinals (September 12-14, 2016), September 14, 2016

  At the end of the morning, the Director of the Press Office, Greg Burke, had a briefing about the 16th meeting of the Council of Cardinals with the Holy Father Francis.

  The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father for three days: Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th. In attendance were all the members of the Council, except Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, absent because of previous pastoral commitments. Pope Francis was absent this morning because of the General Audience.

  On Monday and Tuesday the Cardinals concelebrated Mass with the Pope.

  The meeting took place in the morning from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and in the afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and were devoted in great part to further considerations regarding the way in which several dicasteries of the Roman Curia could better serve the mission of the Church. Particularly this time the attention was focused on the Congregations for the Clergy, Bishops, for Catholic Education and on the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

  Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, was present in one session, informing both about the work of the Congregation as well as about that of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The Cardinals amply reflexed about the necessary spiritual and pastoral profile for a bishop today. Following was discussed the theme of the diplomatic service of the Holy See and the formation and work of the Apostolic Nuncios, with particular attention to their great responsibility concerning the candidates for the episcopate.

  During these days, the Council also studied the theme of the "diaconate of justice" and also an ample dossier about the role of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

  The Cardinals Counselor examined the latest steps already taken in the reform process, specially with the institution of the new Dicastery for the Service of the Integral Human Development. The Secretariat for Comunications submitted a dossier to the Cardinals concerning the reform of that sector and the next steps as designed.

  Finally, the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Cardinal George Pell, informed about the latest developments of the dicastery; and Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M.Cap., reported the news of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that he presides.

  The next reunion of of the Council of Cardinals will take place on December 12, 13 and 14, 2016.

• September 12
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that this morning started the 16th meeting of Pope Francis with the Council of Cardinals at the Vatican. The work of the so called "Council of Nine" will continue until Wednesday September 14. Video, Rome Reports.

• September 6
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that there will be a Capella Papale at at 11:30 a.m. at the the Altar of the Confession of the papal Vatican basilica in suffrage of the cardinals and bishops who have died during the year. The cardinals are: Julio Terrazas Sandoval, C.SS.R. (2001), archbishop emeritus of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, December 9, 2015; Carlo Furno (1994), archpriest emeritus of the papal Liberian basilica and grand master emeritus of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, December 9, 2015; Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P. (2003), theologian emeritus of the Papal Household, March 31, 2016; Giovanni Coppa (2007), deacon of S. Lino, May 16, 2016; Loris Francesco Capovilla (2014), priest of the title of S. Maria in Trastevere, May 26, 2016; Silvano Piovanelli (1985), archbishop emeritus of Florence, Italy. July 9, 2016; and Franciszek Macharski (1979), archbishop emeritus of Kraków, Poland, August 2, 2016.

• September 3
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, special papal envoy to the consecration of the Cathedral of Karonga, Malawi, that will take place on November 5, 2016.

• September 1
  The Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family were suppressed and their functions merged into the new Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Vincenzo Paglia, archbishop-bishop emeritus of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, ceased in their functions on this date.

• August 30
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 197 (47.332), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 29-30 agosto 2016, p. 8. informed that Cardinal Paolo Sardi, patron emeritus of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, celebrated a mass of suffrage of the victims of the earthquake that affected the villages of Amatrice, Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto in central Italy. The cardinal concelebrated the mass in the Church of S. Tommaso di Villanova in Castel Gandolfo with the pastor, Father Pietro Diletti, S.D.B., and the Salesian priests of the parish on the occasion of the feast of the Madonna del Lago on August 27, 2016.

• August 20
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Vinko Puljić, archbishop of Sarajevo, Bosna i Herzegovina, special papal envoy to the celebration that will take place in Skopje, Macedonia, on September 11, 2016, at the conclusion of the day of thanksgiving for the canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

• August 20
  Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, archbishop emeritus of Madrid, Spain, turned eighty years old and according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, lost the right to participate in the conclave.

  Currently, the number of cardinals is 211. The cardinal electors are now 111; 24 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 56 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 100, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 70 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 7 by Pope Francis.

• August 17
  The Vatican Press Office published the Apostolic Letter "Sedula Mater" in the form of a Motu Proprio with which the Dicastery for the Lay, the Family and Life was instituted. The document is dated August 15, 2016. Kevin Joseph Farrell, until then bishop of Dallas, Texas, United States of America, was named prefect of the new dicastery.

• August 12
  Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, blessed and placed the first stone of a chapel for the adoration, without interruption, of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• August 5
  TVP3 informed that Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop of Kraków, Poland, presided over the requiem mass for the late Cardinal Franciszek Macharski and also delivered the homily. In attendance were members of the immediate family of the late cardinal; archbishops and bishops; President Andrzje Duda of Poland and his wife; Prime Minister Beaty Szydło; the Speaker of the Senate, Stanisław Karczewski; and other officials. After the funeral mass the coffin was carried by priests who had been ordained by Cardinal Macharski in 2005. The coffin was laid on the floor in front of the Confession of St. Stanisław and then, after prayers, sprinkled with holy water. At the end of the exequies, the body of the late cardinal was filed in the crypt of the Bishops of Kraków, which is the Confession of St. Stanisłaus in the Wawel Cathedral, next to one of his predecessors, Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha.

• August 3
  TVP3 informed that a mass for the repose of the soul of the late Cardinal Franciszek Macharski was concelebrated by Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki of Poznań; the apostolic nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Celestino Migliore; the president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko; as well as the archbishop of Warsaw, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz. The homily was delivered by Cardinal Marian Jaworski, archbishop emeritus of Lviv of the Latins. It was reported that in the funeral ceremony will participate the president of Poland, Andrzeja Dudy; and the prime minister, Beaty Szydło. At the end of the mass, which will be celebrated in the Castle on Friday August 5, the body of the late cardinal will be buried in the crypt of the bishop of Kraków at the Confession of St. Stanisłaus, also called "the altar of the Fatherland".

• August 2
  The archdiocese of Kraków published the program of the funeral of the late Cardinal Franciszek Macharski:

  Tuesday, August 2
  7:00 p.m. - Holy Mass with the coffin in the church of S. Albertynek, ul. Woronicza 10. It will be presided by Grzegorz Ryś, titular bishop of Arcavica, auxiliary of Kraków, who also will deliver the homily.
  
  Wednesday, August 3
  Approximately at 9:00 a.m. the body will be transported from the church of S. Albertynek to the chapel of the Archbishop of Cracow.
  10:00 a.m. - Holy Mass for the employees of the Metropolitan Curia of Kraków. It will be presided by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz. The homily will be delivered by Jan Szkodoń, titular bishop of Turrisblanda, auxiliary of Kraków.
  6:00 p.m. - transfer of the body from the Archbishop's chapel to the Franciscan Basilica, where Vespers for the dead will be recited. Presiding and delivering the homily will be Jan Zając, titular bishop of Taddua, auxiliary emeritus of Kraków.
  
  Thursday, August 4
  During the day there will be prayers and devotions by the faithful of the Kraków Archdiocese to honor the late cardinal.
  
  Friday, August 5
  9:00 a.m. - Matins.
  11:00 a.m. - Funeral mass for Cardinal Franciszek Macharski and burial in Wawel Cathedral. The mass will be presided by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, metropolitan archbishop of Kraków.

• August 2
  ACI Stampa informed that Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, archbishop emeritus of Kraków, Poland, died this morning at 9:37 in the university hospital of Kraków. His death came after a severe fall in June 2016 which had left him in a medically-induced coma. He was 89 years old and had been created cardinal in the consistory of June 30, 1979. He was the successor of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, Pope John Paul II, in that metropolitan see. A few days ago, on July 28, he had been visited by Pope Francis, who was in Poland for the World Youth Day. Upon learning the news of the death of the cardinal, the pope prayed for the eternal repose of his soul and sent a message of condolence to the archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal Stanisłas Dziwisz. The cardinal also sent a message to the faithful of the archdiocese.
  After the death of Cardinal Macharski, the number of cardinals is 211. The cardinal electors are 112; 25 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 56 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 99, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 69 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 7 by Pope Francis.

• August 1
  Additional information concerning the priestly ordination of Cardinal Francesco Maria Bourbon del Monte Santa Maria (1588); and the episcopal consecration of Cardinals Lorenzo Magalotti (1624); Paolo Emilio Sfondrati (1590); Francesco Carafa della Spina (1686); Bandino Panciatici (1690), kindly provided by Mr. Charles N. Bransom, Jr., director and editor of Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales, and creator of the site Apostolic Succession & Episcopal Lineages in the Roman Catholic Church .

• July 26
  New bibliographic items added to the site during the months of April to June 2016.

• July 20
  Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia, Italy, will preside over the solemn eucharistic celebration at the opening of the 7th Centennial of the Pardon of Assisi programmed for August 2, 2016, at 11 a.m.

• July 15
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, special papal envoy to the Italian National Eucharistic Congress that will be celebrated in Genoa from September 15 to 18, 2016. The news had been reported by Radio Vaticana on July 7, 2016.

• July 14
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 159 (47.294), Città del Vaticano, giovedì 14 luglio 2016, p. 7, informed that on July 12 and 13, 2016, was held in the Vatican, the first meeting of the Joint Commission of Croat and Serb experts responsible to jointly carry out a re-reading of the life of the Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, before, during and after the Second World War. The commission was created on the initiative of Pope Francis, after meetings and consultations between representatives of the Holy See, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Croatian Bishops' Conference, to clarify some historical issues.

  The commission is mandated to undertake a scientific work, following the methodology of the historical sciences, based on the available documentation and its necessary contextualisation. It will not interfere in the process of canonization of Blessed Cardinal Stepinac, which is strictly the responsibility of the Holy See.

  The commission will celebrate a series of meetings that should be completed within twelve months. The commission is composed as follows: Presidency of "patronage" of the Holy See: Norbertine Father Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences. Members of the Catholic Church in Croatia: Cardinal Josip Bozanić, archbishop of Zagreb; Ratko Peric, bishop of Mostar-Duvno; Antun Škorcevic, bishop of Požega; Dr. Jure Krišto, Croatian Institute of History; and Dr. Mario Jareb, Croatian Committee of Historical Sciences. Members of the Serbian Orthodox Church: Amfilohije, metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral; Porfirije, metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana; Irinej, bishop of Novi Sad and Backa; Jovan, bishop of Slavonia; and Professor Darko Tanasković, ambassador, permanent delegate of the Republic of Serbia to UNESCO.

  The next meeting of the Joint Commission will take place in Zagabria on October 17 and 18, 2016.

• July 13
  The Vatican Press Office informed that Pope Francis named members of the Secretariat for Communications Cardinals Béchara Boutros Raï, O.M.M., patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon; John Njue, archbishop of Nairobi, Kenya; Chibly Langlois, bishop of Les Cayes, Haiti; Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar; Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; and Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

• July 12
  The funeral mass for the eternal repose of the soul of Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, archbishop emeritus of Florence, Italy, took place in the metropolitan cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in that city at 6 p.m. The eucharistic celebration was presided over by Cardinal Giuseppe Betori, archbishop of Florence, and concelebrated by Cardinals Ennio Antonelli, archbishop emeritus of Florence and president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Family, and Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia, together with the bishops of Tuscany and hundreds of priests. Four thousand Florentine faithful participated in the mass. Present in the cathedral were Agnese Landini, wife of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi; the vice-mayor of Florence, Cristina Giachi; and the governor of Tuscany, Enrico Rossi. At the end of the exequies, Cardinal Betori read a remembrance of the late cardinal. After the funeral the body of the late cardinal was buried in the sepulchre of the Florentine bishops in the crypt of San Zanobi in the metropolitan cathedral. Video, YouTube; and photographs, archdiocese of Florence.

• July 11
  The Press Office of the Holy See announced that Pope Francis named Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, special papal envoy to the Third Congress for Africa and Madagascar on Divine Mercy, to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 9 to 15, 2016.

• July 10
  toscanaoggi.it informed that the funeral for the late Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, archbishop emeritus of that see, will be celebrated on Tuesday July 12, 2016 at 6 p.m. in the metropolitan cathedral of Santa Maria del Flore. Burial will take place in the sepulchre of the Florentine bishops in the crypt of San Zanobi in the metropolitan cathedral.

• July 9
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, C.M.F., prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, was named special papal envoy to preside over the 24th International Mariological Marian Congress that will take place in Fatima, Portugal, from September 6 to 11, 2016.

• July 9
  LaPresse.it informed that Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, archbishop emeritus of Florence. Italy, has died today at 4:20 a.m. After retiring as archbishop of Florence in 2001, he went to live for fifteen years in Cercina, in a small church, working as assistant to the pastor of the parish. His last public appearance was in Florence on May 26, 2016 on the occasion of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, where he attended first mass in the Cathedral and then participated in the Eucharistic Procession through the streets of the old town to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, using a wheelchair. In the days preceding his death he had received a phone call of closeness from Pope Francis. Upon learning the news of the death of the cardinal, the pope prayed for the eternal repose of his soul and sent a telegram of condolence to Cardinal Giuseppe Betori, archbishop of Florence. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Senator Vannino Chiti and Dario Nardella, mayor of Florence, expressed their condolences for the death of the cardinal. Cardinal Piovanelli spent his last few months in the ecclesiastical boarding house of the archdiocese, where he was assisted in the final phase of his illness. The ardent chapel to pay homage to the remains of the cardinal will be installed in the church of San Salvatore al Vescovo, in the archbishopric, with access from the piazza dell'Olio. The ardent chapel will be open on Saturday July 9 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. At 5 p.m. all the bells of the churches of Florence will ring in mourning. On Sunday July 10 the ardent chapel will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Monday July 11 at 9 p.m. a prayer vigil will take place in the cathedral. The exequies for the late cardinal will take place in the Florentine cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

  After the death of Cardinal Piovanelli, the number of cardinals is 212. The cardinal electors are 112; 25 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 56 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 100, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 70 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 7 by Pope Francis.

• July 7
  Radio Vaticana informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, special papal envoy to the Italian National Eucharistic Congress programmed for September 15 to 18, 2016 in Genoa.

• July 4
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the archdiocesis of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, presented by Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez in conformity to canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law. The pope named new metropolitan archbishop of the archdiocese of Santo Domingo Francisco Ozoria Acosta, transfering him from the diocese of San Pedro de Macorís. The cardinal will be apostolic administrator of the archdiocese until the installation of his successor on September 4.

• July 3
  Additional information has been included in the biographical entries of Cardinals Flavio Orsini (1565); Juan Tomás de Boxadors, O.P. (1775); Karl Kajetan Gaisruck (1824); Mario Benito Barrio Fernández (1873); Andrea Carlo Ferrari (1894); Sebastián Herrero y Espinosa de los Monteros, Orat. (1903); Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, O.S.B. (1929); and Pseudocardinals Thomas Langley (1411); and Francesco Zabarella (1411).

• June 28
  The president of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, decorated Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M.Cap, archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, him with the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator at the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon.

• June 28
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 147 (47.282), Città del Vaticano, mercoledì 29 giugno 2016, p. 7, reported that an affectionate embrace between Pope Francis and his immediate predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, opened at the Viatcan the sober and joyful ceremony remembering the 65th anniversary of the priestly ordination of the latter. The celebration took place in Sala Clementina in the morning of Tuesday June 28 and it was opened with a discourse by Pope Francis. Then spoke the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, who in the name of the Vatican foundation "Joseph Ratzinger - Benedetto XVI" gave the honoree the volume Insegnare e imparare l'amore di Dio , which contains 43 of his homilies on the priesthood. Also spoke the dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano. In the ceremony participated a delegation from the patriarchate of Constantinople, which was accompanied by Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Among those present in the encounter was Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciù, substitute of the Secretariat of State, and other prelates of the Roman Curia. Father Georg Ratzinger, brother of the pope emeritus, and forty two other priests were also ordained in the same ceremony in 1951.

• June 27
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 146 (47.281), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 27-28 giugno 2016, p. 7, informed that Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, received the Prize Tu es Petrus, given by the Association of the same name. During the ceremony, the cardinal delivered a lectio magistralis.

• June 20
  During the Ordinary Public Consistory for the vote on the canonization of five blesseds celebrated by Pope Francis at 10 a.m. in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, took place the optatio of four cardinals from the order of deacons to the order of priests: Cardinal William Joseph Levada, deacon of S. Maria in Domnica; Cardinal Franc Rodé, deacon of S. Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella; Cardinal Andrea Cordero di Montezemolo, deacon of S. Maria in Portico Campitelli; and Cardinal Albert Vanhoye, S.J., deacon of S. Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani. The pope granted the request of the four cardinals. All the deaconries were elevated pro hac vice to title.

  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 140 (47.275), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 20-21 giugno 2016, p. 8, informed that forty five cardinals were in attendance, among them, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals. Also present were Georg Gänswein, prefect of the Papal Household; Giovanni Angelo Becciù, substitute of the Secretariat of State; Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with the States; and Ilson de Jesús Montonari, secretary of the College of Cardinals and secretary of the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, delivered the peroration of the new saints. Cardinals Levada and Vanhoye were absent and Archbishop Montonari made the request for them. At the end, the master of the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, Monsignor Guido Marini, invited Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, protonotary apostolic, to redact a public instrument ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Then, toward 10:30 a.m., the pope remained alone with the cardinals who were present to continue the discussion.

• June 20
  The Holy See Press Office informed that on Sunday June 19, 2016, Pope Francis visited the community of Villa Nazareth yesterday, on the seventieth anniversary of its foundation by Cardinal Domenico Tardini, secretary of State between 1958 and 1961, to offer assistance and aid to poor children orphaned by the war. It was subsequently instituted as a College by the chirograph of St. John XXIII in 1963. The College is managed by the Domenico Tardini Foundation, chaired by Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, and receives free of charge students of both sexes with a history of excellence in studies but are from families who, on account of their socio-economic or cultural situation, are unable to support them. The Holy Father was received by the deputy president of Villa Nazareth, Claudio Maria Celli, titular archbishop of Civitanova, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

• June 16
  Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, archbishop emeritus of Lagos, Nigeria, turned eighty years old and according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, lost the right to participate in the conclave. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-06-16.

  Currently, the number of cardinals is 213. The cardinal electors are now 112; 25 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 56 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 101, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 71 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 7 by Pope Francis.

• June 15
  Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, turned eighty years old and according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, lost the right to participate in the conclave. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-06-15.

  Currently, the number of cardinals is 213. The cardinal electors are now 113; 26 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 56 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 100, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 70 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 7 by Pope Francis.

• June 12
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 133 (47.268), Città del Vaticano, domenica 12 giugno 2016, p. 5, informed that in the evening of Monday June 13, in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, there will be a solemn ceremony organized by "Comitato Papa Pacelli Associazione Pio XII" in memory of the pope who as a young priest assiduously frequented that church teaching catechism to the children and administering the sacrament of confession (still today it is well visible his confessional, where a commemorative plaque has been placed). The ceremony will start with greetings from Father Rocco Camillò, superior of the Oratory of Rome. Then, Father Marc Lindeijer, S.J., vicepostulator of the cause of beatification of the pope, will present the famous discourse that in 1936 Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli delivered on the "sacred destiny of Rome". Then, will follow the mass celebrated by Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, penitentiary major, who will pronounce a homily on the roots of the Christian and priestly life of Pope Pius XII.

• June 11
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, member of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City.

  Also, the pope named Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, Brazil, and prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, special papal envoy to the 17th National Eucharistic Congress of Brazil programmed for August 15 to 21, 2016 in the city of Bélem.

• June 8
  The Press Office of the Holy See reported the following:

  Fifteenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals: working for the new apostolic constitution, 08.06.2016

  Vatican City, 8 June 2016 - The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father during the three days: Monday 6, Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 June. All members were present, although Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya arrived after the beginning of the session. The Holy Father attended the majority of meetings, but was absent on Wednesday morning due to the general audience, as usual.

  The majority of consultations were again devoted to further considerations on the various dicasteries of the Curia, the subject of previous meetings, in view of the new apostolic constitution. Special attention was paid to the Congregation for Bishops, the Secretariat of State, the Congregations for Catholic Education, the Oriental Churches and the Clergy, and the Pontifical Councils for Culture, for Promoting Christian Unity, and for Interreligious Dialogue.

  The results of the considerations during prior sessions regarding various Congregations - for the Doctrine of the Faith, Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Causes of Saints, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life - as well as the new dicastery on " Charity, Justice and Peace" (which, as mentioned previously, will incorporate the current competences of Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Health Care Workers, Migrants and Itinerant Peoples) have been entrusted to the Pope for further examination and consultations as he may consider appropriate.

  The criteria of these reflections have included, for instance, simplification, harmonisation of the tasks of the difference Organisms, and possible forms of decentralisation in relation with the Episcopal Conferences.

  Updates were given by the coordinator of the Council for the Economy, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, and the prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, Cardinal George Pell, on issues within their competence.

  On the part of the prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Msgr. Dario Edoardo Viganò reported on the progress of reforms of the Holy See system of communication, on the ongoing re-evaluation of work organisation and on production processes, and on the process of integration, especially with regard to Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre during the current year. The Council expressed its gratitude and encouraged the continuing progress on this path.

  Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M.Cap., reported on the activity of the Commission for the Protection of Minors, and introduced an exchange of reflections on the Pope's new Motu Proprio ("Like a Loving Mother", published on 4 June).

  The next meetings of the Council are scheduled to take place from 12 to 14 September and from 12 to 14 December 2016.

• June 6
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that this morning started the 15th reunion of the Council of Cardinals with Pope Francis. The work of the "Council of Nine" (C9) will continue until Wednesday June 8, 2016.

  Video, Rome Reports, 2016-06-08.

• June 4
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis , as proposed by the Council of Cardinals, has approved ad experimentum the statute of the new dicastery for the laity, family and life, which will merge from September 1, 2016 the existing Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. On that date both dicasteries will cease their functions and will be suppressed, following the repeal of articles 131-134 and 139-141 of the apostolic constitution Pastor Bonus of June 28, 1988.

• June 2
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 124 (47.259), Città del Vaticano, giovedì 2 giugno 2016, p. 4, informed that on June 30, 2016 in Rome and in July 2016 in London will be presented a set edited by Libreria Editrice Vaticana comprising three musical CDs of the recordings of piano performances by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

• May 30
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 122 (47. 257), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 30-31 maggio 2016, p. 6, informed that there will be a eucharistic celebration in honor of Blessed Pope Pius IX (Cardinal Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti) on Tuesday May 31, 2016, at 6:30 p.m., presided by the postulator of his cause of canonization, Archbishop Carlo Liberati, prelate emeritus of Pompei, in the basilica of S. Lorenzo al Verano, where the pontiff, according to the dispositions in his will, is buried next to the first Roman martyr. On this occasion, the plans for the renovation and restoration of the chapel in which is the urn containing the remains of the blessed pope will be programmed.

• May 30
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 122 (47. 257), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 30-31 maggio 2016, p. 4, informed that om June 1 and 2, 2016, in Opole, Poland, there will be a meeting on the topic "Nunzio in una terra di frontiera. Achille Ratti, poi Pio XI, in Polonia (1918-1921)".

• May 30
  Presided over by Bishop Francesco Beschi of Bergamo, who also delivered the homily, took place in the parish church of Sotto il Monte, at 10:30 a.m., the funeral mass for Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, priest of the title of S. Maria in Trastevere. The eulogy was delivered by Bruno Forte, archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, at the end of the ceremony. The mass was concelebrated by Francesco Moraglia, patriarch of Venice; Bruno Forte, archbishop of Chieti-Vasto; Maurizio Malvestiti, bishop of Lodi; Maurizio Gervasoni, bishop of Vigevano; Antonio Napolioni, bishop of Cremona; Oscar Cantoni, bishop of Crema; Carlo Mazza, bishop of Fidenza; Giuseppe Merisi, bishop emeritus of Lodi; and Dante Lafranconi, bishop emeritus of Cremona. About 150 priests also concelebrated. Present in the celebration were Minister Maurizio Martina; the prefect of Bergamo, Francesca Ferrandino; the commanders of the forces of order; the mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori; the mayor of Sotto il Monte Giovanni XXIII, Maria Grazia Dadda; and many leading citizens of the province. Among the deputies and senators was Pierluigi Bersani of Partito Democratico.

  After the funeral, the body of the late cardinal was buried in a bara da poveri (coffin of a poor) in the cemetery of the ancient abbey of Fontanella of Sotto il Monte.

  Photo gallery.

• May 29
  The exequies for Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, priest of the title of S. Maria in Trastevere, who died on May 26, 2016, at the age of 100, will take place on Monay May 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the parish church of Sotto il Monte.

  The ardent chamber is located in his room in in Ca' Maitino in Sotto il Monte and is open to all those who wish to pray and honor the late cardinal. His body rests under a large picture of Pope Saint John XXIII.

  The body will be buried, according to his wishes, in the cemetery of the ancient abbey of Fontanella of Sotto il Monte, near his friend Father David Maria Turoldo.

  In the evening of May 27 at 8:30 p.m., in the parish church of Sotto il Monte, the bishop of Bergamo celebrated a mass in suffrage of the soul of Cardinal Capovilla and in thanksgiving for all he did in the service of the Lord and of the Church, particularly of the church in Bergamo.

  On Saturday May 28 at 8:30 p.m. there was a prayer vigil in the parish church of Sotto il Monte.

• May 27
  The Press Office of the Holy See published the telegram of condolence that Pope Francis sent to Francesco Beschi, bishop of Bergamo, on the death of Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla. President Sergio Mattarella of Italy also sent a message of condolence to the bishop of Bergamo.
  
  

  The cardinal will be buried, according to his will, in the small cemetery of Fontanella, near Sotto il Monte.

• May 26
  Corriere del Veneto informed that Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, priest of title of S. Maria in Trastevere, died today in the clinic Palazzolo, Bergamo. At 100, he was the oldest member of the College of Cardinals. He had been personal secretary of Pope John XXIII. In a moving farewell note, the late cardinal asked for "no public funeral," just a private chapel Mass for closest friends. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-05-26.

  After the death of Cardinal Capovilla, the number of cardinals is 213. The cardinal electors are 114; 26 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 57 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 99, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 70 by Pope John Paul II; 21 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 7 by Pope Francis.

• May 21
  The Press Office of the Holy See announced that Pope Francis named Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, special papal envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress of Portugal, programmed for Fatima from June 10 to 12, 2016.

  Likewise, the Press Office of the Holy See announced that the pope named Cardinal Dominik Duka, O.P., archbishop of Prague, Czeck Republic, special papal envoy to the solemn eucharistic celebration that, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the birth of Saint Martin of Tours, will take place in Szombathely, Hungary, on July 9, 2016.

• May 17
  The Office of Liturgical Celebrations informed that on Wednesday May 18, 2016, at 3: p.m., at the Altar of the Confession of the papal Vatican basilica, will take place the exequies for Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, deacon of S. Lino. The exequial liturgy will be celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, together with other cardinals, archbishops and bishops. At the end of the eucharistic celebration, Pope Francis will preside over the rite of the Ultima Commendatio and the Valedictio.

• May 17
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Cardinal Giovanni Coppa, deacon of S. Lino, died on May 16, 2016, at 7 p.m., in the Roman clinic Villa Luisa, where he had been intern for several days after his health had deteriorated. Upon learning the news of the death, Pope Francis prayed for the eternal repose of his soul and sent Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, a telegram of condolence. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-05-17.

  After the death of Cardinal Coppa, the number of cardinals is 214. The cardinal electors are 114; 26 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 57 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 100, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 70 by Pope John Paul II; 21 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 8 by Pope Francis.

• May 16
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the diocese of Mainz, Germany, presented by Cardinal Karl Lehmann in conformity to canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law.

• May 16
  Cardinal Katl Lehmann, bishop of Mainz, Germany, turned eighty years old and according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, lost the right to participate in the conclave. German Cardinal Lehmann turns 80, thus leaving 114 cardinal electors, Rome Reports, 2016-05-16

  Presently, the number of cardinals is 215. The cardinal electors are now 114; 26 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 57 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 101, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 70 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 8 by Pope Francis.

• May 14
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, arzobispo de México, México, special papal envoy to the concluding celebrations of the bicentenary of the consecration of the metropolitan cathedral of Santiago de Guatemala, to be held in conjunction with the Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress from May 31 to June 5, 2016.

• May 7
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria, special papal envoy to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the erection of the archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev, Belarus, programmed for July 1 and 2, 2016.

• May 2
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 100 (47.235), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 2-3 maggio 2016, p. 6, informed that Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria, escaped injury in a shooting attack in the country's southern Edo state. The cardinal was returning home after attending the 10th anniversary celebrations for the Uromi Diocese. The cardinal wrote a e-mail saying that the government needs to do more to make our public roads safe. There have been increasing violence and kidnappings of clergy for ransom in the West African country. He said that the attackers were not targeting him personally, since they shot at other cars on the road, where many attacks were known to occur.

• May 2
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 100 (47.235), Città del Vaticano, lunedì-martedì 2-3 maggio 2016, p. 4, informed that Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, iwas the winner of the "Penna d'oro" (Golden Pen) awarded by the presidency of the Council of Ministers in official recognition from the Italian State to journalists and writers who have brought honor to the country. The prize was established in 1957 in memory of Giovanni Papini and it has been granted in the following years to Salvatore Quasimodo, Eugenio Montale, Carlo Emilio Gadda, Giuseppe Prezzolini, Alberto Moravia, Ugo Spirito, Riccardo Bacchelli, Mario Soldati, Paolo Mieli and Eugenio Scalfari. The unanimous decision was made by a committee presided by Luca Lotti and composed by Luigi Vicinanza, Andrea Vianello, Fabiano Fabiani, Luigi Contu, and Antonio Macaluso. The ceremony of consignment will take place on the coming July 2 during an event organized by Fondazione Premio Ischia in Lacco Ameno and will be preceded by a seried of debates, filmed by Sky Tg 24, which wil include journalists, politicians, economy and foreign policy experts.

• May 2
  New bibliographic items added to the site during the months of January to March 2016.

• April 26
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis accepted the resignation presented by Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino from the pastoral government of the archdiocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana, Cuba, for reason of age, according to canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law. To succeed him the pope named Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez, until then archbishop of Camagüey, Cuba. Cardinal Ortega y Alamino will be apostolic administrator of the archdiocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana until the installation of his successor on May 22, 2016.

• April 21
  Biographical entry of Quasi-Cardinal Pietro Tacchi Venturi, S.J. (1935), former secretary general of the Society of Jesus and former rector of Collegio di S. Francesco Saverio, Rome, for the Jesuit missions.

• April 16
  The Vatican Press Office informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops and president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, special papal envoy to the Eleventh National Eucharistic Congress of Argentina that, in the Bicentennial of the Independence, will be celebrated in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán on June 16-19, 2016.

• April 15
  The Vatican Press Office informed that Pope Francis named member of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity Cardinal George Alencherry, archbishop major of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar, India.

• April 14
  Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and grand chancellor emeritus of the Pontifical Urbanian University, turned eighty years old and according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, lost the right to participate in the conclave. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-04-14.

  Presently, the number of cardinals is 215. The cardinal electors are now 115; 27 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 57 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 100, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 69 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 8 by Pope Francis.

• April 13
  Vatican Radio reported the following:
  
  Council of Cardinals concludes meetings in Vatican
  
  The Council of Cardinals concluded three days of meetings on Wednesday. All of the members of the Council were present, with the exception of Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who was impeded by health reasons.
  
  Apart from the Wednesday morning session, which took place during the customary General Audience, Pope Francis himself participated in all of the meetings of the Council.
  
  In a press briefing on the meetings, Father Federico Lombardi, S.J, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, said Cardinals' discussion focused largely on final considerations concerning the various Dicasteries (departments) of the Roman Curia, in view of a new Apostolic Constitution.
  
  In particular, the Cardinals re-read, and entrusted to the Holy Father, several texts relating to the proposal to create to new Dicasteries, dedicated to "Laity, Family, and Life" and to "Justice, Peace, and Migration."
  
  Father Lombardi said the Cardinals also took up several other topics in their discussion. In particular, the Council considered criteria for gathering information for the nomination of new bishops, in light of their identity and pastoral mission. They also discussed the significance and role of Nuncios.
  
  Additionally, the Council heard from two of their own members. Cardinal George Pell updated his colleagues on the work of the Secretariat for the Economy, while Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, O.F.M.Cap., discussed the activities of the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors.
  
  The final day of the Council's work, Father Lombardi said, was dedicated to organizing the results of the foregoing discussion, in order to craft a comprehensive proposal from the Council to the Pope, in view of a new Constitution for the Roman Curia.
  
  The Council is expected to meet three more times this year: 6-8 June; 12-14 September; and 12-14 December.

• April 11
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that this morning started the fourteenth reunion of the Holy Father with the Council of Cardinals. The work of the "Council of Nine" will continue until Wednesday April 13, 2016.

• April 9
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, pontifical legate to the Lithuanian National Congress on Mercy, programmed for May 6 to 8, 2016, in Vilnius.

• April 6
  Zenit informed that Cardinal José Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, México, was reelected president of the Mexican Episcopal Conference for the triennium 2016-2018.

• April 3
  L'Osservatore Romano, Anno CLVI n. 76 (47 211), Città del Vaticano, domenica 3 aprile 2016, p. 8, informed that Pope Francis, in the morning of Saturday April 2, 2016, in the Altar of the Cathedra of the Vatican basilica, presided over the rite of the last "commendatio" and of the "valedictio" at the end of the exequies of the Swiss Dominican cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier, theologian emeritus of the Papal Household, who died on Thursday March 31. The funeral mass was celebrated by Cardinal Dean Angelo Sodano, who also delivered the homily. Concelebrating were twenty one cardinals; among them, Pietro Parolin, secretary of State; and Christoph Schönborn, O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria, who on October 21, 2003 had conferred Cardinal Cottier the episcopal consecration on the vigil of the consistory in which Pope John Pail II had created him a cardinal. Also concelebrating the exequies were ten archbishops and bishops; among them Charles Morerod, O.P., bishop of Lausanne, Genève et Fribourg, with the auxiliary of that diocese, Alain de Raemy. Eight priests concelebrated; among them Wojciech Giertych, O.P., theologian of the Papal Household. Present at the celebration were, among others, Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciù, substitute of the Secretariat of State; Monsignors Paolo Borgia, assessor of the Secretariat of State, Antoine Camilleri, undersecretary of Relations with the States; and José Avelino Bettencourt, head of Protocol of the Secretariat of State; together with members of the diplomatic corps accredited before the Holy See. Also present were relatives of the late cardinal; Archbishop Georg Gänswein, prefect of the Papal Household; a representation from the Dominican Order, headed by Master General Father Bruno Cadoré; the commandant of the pontifical Swiss Guard, Christoph Graf; and many people who, for various reasons, had collaborated with Cardinal Cottier. The remains of the late cardinal were buried in the Roman Campo Verano cemetery.

• April 2
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of State, pontifical legate to the celebratioms that will take place in Gniezno and in Poznań on April 14 to 16, 2016, on the occasion of the 1050th anniversary of the Baptism of Poland.

  Likewise, the Press Office informed that the pope named Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Catholic Education, special papal envoy to the inauguration of the Shrine of Toruń, Poland, dedicated to Most Holy Mary Star of the New Evangelization and to Saint John Paul II, which will take place on May 18, 2016.

• April 1
  The Office of Liturgical Celebrations informed that the exequies for Cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P. will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday April 2, 2016, in the papal Vatican basilica. The liturgy will be presided over by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, and concelebrated by other cardinals, archbishops and bishops. At the end of the eucharistic celebration, Pope Francis will preside over the rite of the Ultima Commendatio and the Valedictio.

• April 1
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolence to Madame Marie Emmanuelle Pastore Cottier on the death of her brother Cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P.

• March 31
  Cardinal Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P., of the title of Ss. Domenico e Sisto, theologian emeritus of the Papal Hosehold, died in the evening at Polyclinic Agostino Gemelli in Rome. Video, Rome Reports.

  After the death of Cardinal Cottier, the number of cardinals is 215. The cardinal electors are 116; 28 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 57 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 99, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 68 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 8 by Pope Francis.

• March 26
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Catholic Education. special papal envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress of Belarus that, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the erection of the diocese of Grodno, will be celebrated in the city of Grodno on May 24-26, 2016.

• March 10
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, archbishop of Cologne, Germany, as his special envoy in Luxembourg for the closing of the Octave of Our Lady, Consoler of the Afflicted, on the 350th anniversary of her election as Patroness of the City of Luxembourg, programmed for May 1, 2016.

• February 27
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Francesco Monterisi, archpriest emeritus of the papal basilica of San Paolo fuori le mura, Rome, special papal envoy to the conclusive celebration of the Innocentian Year, commemorating the fourth centennial of the birth of Pope Innocent XII, which will take place in Spinazzola, Italy, on March 13, 2016.

• February 27
  Cardinal Roger Michael Mahony, archbishop emeritus of Los Angeles, California, United States of America, turned eighty years old and according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, lost the right to participate in the conclave. Video, Rome Reports, 2016-02-27.

  Presently, the number of cardinals is 216. The cardinal electors are now 116; 28 have been created by Pope John Paul II; 57 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 31 by Pope Francis. The cardinal non-electors are now 100, of which 1 was created by Pope Paul VI; 69 by Pope John Paul II; 22 by Pope Benedict XVI; and 8 by Pope Francis.

• February 26
  Pope Francis asked Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia, Italy, to deliver the meditations at the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, March 25, 2016, in the Roman Colosseum.

• February 22
  Biographical entry of Quasi-Cardinal Pietro Sigismondi, titular archbishop of Neapoli di Pisidia, secretary of the S.C. of Propaganda Fide (1967).

• February 15
  Biographical entry of Quasi-Cardinal Charles Joseph Benoît Mercy d'Argenteau, titular archbishop of Tiro, former nuncio to Bavaria (1836).

• February 9
  The Vatican Information Service (VIS) published the following:
  
  Thirteenth meeting of the Council of Cardinals: synodality and sound decentralisation
  
  Vatican City, 9 February 2016 (VIS) - The Council of Cardinals met with the Holy Father for a day and a half this week: Monday 8 February, morning and afternoon, and Tuesday 9 in the morning.
  
  The cardinals concelebrated with the Pope in the Mass for the Friars Minor Capuchin on Tuesday morning at 7:30 in the papal Vatican basilica, at the Altar of the Cathedra.
  
  Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India, was absent for health reasons. His absence was expected since the month of December, as he was expected to undergo a previously scheduled surgical operation.
  
  As already expected at the end of the previous meeting, the first session consisted of a close examination of the Holy Father's discourse on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops (17 October). This discourse, which develops extensively the theme of "synodality", noting at the same time "the need to promote a sound decentralisation", constitutes an important point of reference for the work of reforming the Curia.
  
  This was followed by a "final" reading of the proposals of the Council regarding the two new Dicasteries, mentioned previously: "Laity, family and life", and "Justice, peace, migration". The proposals were finalised and submitted to the Holy Father for his decisions.
  
  Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Boston, United States of America, reported on the activities of the Commission for the Protection of Minors. The legal and disciplinary issues that fall under the jurisdiction of other Dicasteries of the Curia will need to be examined in further detail.
  
  Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, reported on the status and implementation of reforms in the economic field.
  
  The cardinals received documentation on the so-called "vademecum" prepared by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota for the implementation of reform on canonical procedures for the declaration of nullity of marriage.
  
  Video, Rome Reports, 2016-02-09.

• February 8
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that this morning took place the 13th reunion of the Holy Father Francis with the Council of Cardinals. The work of the Council will continue until tomorrow February 9. Future meetings of the Council will take place this year on 11-12-13 April; 6-7-8 June; 12-13-14 September; and 12-13-14 December.

• February 2
  New bibliographic items added to the site during the months of October to December 2015.

• January 21
  Pope Francis named Cardinal Paolo Romeo, archbishop emeritus of Palermo, Italy, president of the Almo Collegio Capranica in Rome.

• January 19
  Additional information concerning the episcopal consecration of Cardinals Suidger von Morsleben und Hornburg (996); Konrad von Wittelsbach (1163); and Siegfried von Eppstein (1206) has been included in their biographical entries kindly provided by Mr. Charles N. Bransom, Jr., director and editor of Revue des Ordinations Épiscopales, and creator of the site Apostolic Succession & Episcopal Lineages in the Roman Catholic Church .

• January 8
  The Press Office of the Holy See informed that Pope Francis named Cardinal Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, archbishop of Valladolid, Spain, member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.

• Cardinal deacons William Joseph Levada of S. Maria in Domnica; Franc Rodé, C.M., of S. Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella; Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo of S. Maria in Portico; and Albert Vanhoye, S.J., of S. Maria della Mercede e Sant'Adriano a Villa Albani, who were promoted to the cardinalate in the consistory of March 24, 2006, after having been in that order for ten years, will be able to opt for the order of cardinal priests in 2016.

• As of January 1, 2016, the members of the College of Cardinals are 216; 117 are electors and 99 are non-electors, having lost their right to participate in the conclave when they turned 80 years old, according to the regulation in the seventh paragraph of the introduction of the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis. During this year, ten cardinals will turn 80. They are: Roger Michael Mahony (1991), February 27; Ivan Dias (2001), April 14; Karl Lehmann (2001), May 16; William Joseph Levada (2006), June 15; Anthony Olubunmi Okogie (2003), June 16; Antonio María Rouco Varela (1998), August 20; Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino (1994), October 18; Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez (1991), October 31; Ennio Antonelli (2003), November 18; and Théodore-Adrien Sarr (2007), November 28.

• From January 1 to December 31, 2015, the cardinals' site received approximately 107,169 visits as well as innumerable electronic messages with comments, corrections, and additional information, both textual and pictorial, in spite of the fact that the server where the site resided crashed on August 10, which caused great incovenience and confusion. The counter records only the initial visit to the site and not the ones to other sections on the same occasion. On January 1, 2016, the number of visitors to the site since January 1, 2002, was 2,095,512. The site contains the biographical entries of the 4,308 pre-cardinals, cardinals, quasi-cardinals and pseudocardinals identified between 494 and 2015.

©1998-2022 Salvador Miranda.