Pope gives Curia assignments to new cardinals

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Four days after creating new cardinals, Pope Francis gave an extra job or two to the 18 prelates who are under the retirement age of 80.

All active cardinals, whether they lead a diocese far from Rome or head a department of the Roman Curia, are appointed members of Vatican dicasteries, tribunals and offices as part of their service to the pope and the universal church.

The new assignments for the cardinals created Sept. 30 were published by the Vatican Oct. 4, and the cardinals with full-time Curia posts received multiple new tasks.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will be a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World as well as its Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches. He also will be a member of the dicasteries for the Eastern Churches, for Bishops, for Laity, the Family and Life, and for Culture and Education.

Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the U.S.-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, will be a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches and a member of the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the Eastern Churches, for Clergy, for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for Culture and Education and for Legislative Texts. Pope Francis also named him to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, was named a member of both sections of the Dicastery for Evangelization and of the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Bishops, for Promoting Christian Unity, for Interreligious Dialogue, and for Culture and Education. He also was named a member of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

Among the other new cardinals, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, nuncio to the United States, was named a member of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, the Vatican’s investment office. And Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, was named a member of the dicasteries for the Eastern Churches and for Promoting Christian Unity.