Two women join Vatican council that implements synod, prepares next one

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — For the first time, women will serve on the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod, the committee that oversees implementation of the most recent synod and prepares the next assembly.

The Vatican announced Dec. 13 Pope Francis’ nomination of four members to the 16th Ordinary Council of the Vatican synod office. Among his choices are: Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla, secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and María Lía Zervino, a member of the Dicastery for Bishops.

The pope also appointed to the council Cardinals Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, relator general of the Synod of Bishops on synodality, and Roberto Repole of Turin, Italy.

Previously, ordinary councils were comprised solely of bishops, therefore the appointment of two women — a religious sister and a consecrated virgin — signals a departure from that custom.

In October, the synod assembly elected 12 members to the ordinary council from among its ranks, leaving four places for papal appointees. Pope Francis also expanded the council’s size from 16 to 17 members to accommodate the head of the dicastery pertaining to the topic of the next synod.

The Vatican has not said if the pope has chosen the topic for the next synod.

The 12 elected council members were chosen to represent different regions of the world. The membership includes one representative of the Eastern Catholic churches, one member from Oceania, and two each from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The elected members are:

— Melkite Catholic Patriarch Joseph Absi of Antioch.
— Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogotá, Colombia.
— Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France.
— Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, Philippines.
— Archbishop Timothy J. Costelloe of Perth, Australia.
— Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa and Daman, India.
— Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic.
— Archbishop José Luis Azuaje Ayala of Maracaibo, Venezuela.
— Archbishop Gintaras Grusas of Vilnius, Lithuania.
— Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea of Bamenda, Cameroon.
— Bishop Alain Faubert of Valleyfield, Canada.
— Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas.

The new members of the council will meet via videocall Dec. 17 to discuss the implementation phase of the synod on synodality as well as preparations for the next synod, the Vatican said.