Catholic World News News Feature
Pope meets privately with Curia leaders April 16, 2007
Pope Benedict XVI summoned the leaders of the Roman Curia to a special meeting on Saturday morning, April 14. The Vatican did not disclose the topic for discussion at the meeting, which had not previously been announced.
A report on the German edition of Vatican Radio later said that the Pope and his dicastery heads had discussed the challenges facing the Church in Latin America. Pope Benedict will visit Brazil in early May, to open a meeting of the Latin American bishops' conference.
The Vatican Radio report did not indicate why the meeting of Curia leaders was convened without any prior public announcement, nor did it indicate whether any other topics were on the agenda for discussion.
Pope Benedict has convened the leaders of the Roman Curia for consultations on three previous occasions. In February 2006 the dicastery chiefs met with the Pope to discuss plans for reconciliation with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X; in November 2006 the topic was the excommunicated Archbishop Milingo and his campaign to end clerical celibacy. The Pope also met for a closed-door discussion with the Curia leaders in April 2006; the topic for that meeting was never disclosed.
