French cardinal says 'gay marriage' opens door to incest, polygamy

Lyon, France, Sep 18, 2012 (CNA/EWTN News) - Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon said government approval of gay “marriage” in France could pave the way for the legalization of incest and polygamy.

The cardinal made his statements on Sept.14 after a meeting with France’s Interior Minister, Manuel Valls.

In an interview on French radio, Cardinal Barbarin said that same-sex unions constitute “a breakdown in society.”

“This will lead to unspeakable consequences. Next they will want unions between three or four people.  One day, perhaps, the prohibition against incest will fall,” the cardinal warned.

French President Francois Hollande promised during his campaign that if elected he would push for the legalization of homosexual marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. 

A bill that would allow such practices is currently under debate in France and is expected to come before the Council of Ministers on Oct. 24.

“Marriage is a word that represents a wall, in order to ensure that in the most fragile place of society, that is, in a woman who gives life to a child, all of the stable conditions are present to ensure that this takes place under the best of possibilities,” the cardinal said.

Admitting children of same-sex couples to Catholic elementary schools: thinking beyond the clichés

 

By Dr. Edward Peters

Original News Article

 

6 January 2004 EWTNews Brief 52609

 

DIOCESE, CATHOLIC LEAGUE DEFEND CHILDREN OF SAME-SEX COUPLE IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL

COSTA MESA, CALIF., USA, Jan. 06, 2005 (CNA) - Parents in the Diocese of Orange County have threatened to pull their children from a Catholic school and to seek the Vatican’s intervention after school officials have refused to meet their demands.

Some parents have accused the diocese of violating Church teaching by allowing a homosexual couple to enroll their two children in a Catholic school. They say the boys’ attendance in the kindergarten of St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa is part of the homosexual community’s efforts to change the Church, reported the Los Angeles Times.

The group demanded that the school only accept children of families that follow Catholic teachings. But school officials rejected the demand. Superintendent Fr. Gerald M. Horan said the parents’ demand is a “slippery slope” that would lead to the expulsion and ban of children whose parents divorced, used birth control or married outside the Church, he said.

Catholic League president William Donohue agreed with Fr. Horan, adding that the most important element to consider is the spiritual well-being of the children in question. “On a prudential level, it makes no sense to single out kids for retribution whose parents are gay,” said Donohue. “What should be done about kids who were born out-of-wedlock? Should we expel kids whose parents are cohabiting or are known adulterers?

“Priests have often been asked by morally delinquent parents to baptize their children, and in most instances the priests have rightfully obliged,” he continued. “Now just as the priest is in no way condoning the moral delinquency of the parents, school officials at St. John the Baptist are in no way condoning the lifestyle of the gay parents. And in both cases, the spiritual well-being of the kids is, or should be, the paramount concern.”

END

 

Opinion / Analysis

 

As the moral fabric of Western society continues to unravel, novel problems such as those facing parents, teachers, and Church officials in the Diocese of Orange—namely, how Catholic schools should handle requests to admit children of same-sex couples—will continue to arise. Moreover, as the pace of social disintegration quickens, these new problems will be both more numerous and more complex. Just ten years ago, did parents paying for their children to attend a Catholic kindergarten really have to worry about explaining (assuming it is explainable) to their own youngsters why some of their classmates have two mommies or two daddies?

 

From the outset, let's recognize that neither the opposition parents nor school officials wanted this conflict to arise. Who needs another fight these days? But arise it has, and it must be considered carefully. I do not know what the best response to this latest manifestation of social disorientation should be but, knowing of the situation only what the above article tells us, I doubt that the best answer has been hit upon yet by either side in this debate.

 

The solution proposed by the “anti-admission parents” (basically, that Catholic schools should admit only children from families that live in accord with Church teaching) is, at first glance certainly, too vague to be enforced and too severe if it could be enforced. The Church is full of sinners, and Fr. Gerald Horan is right to fear stepping onto such slippery slopes. But that does not mean that “pro-admission” voices like his and William Donohue’s are correct in their reasoning; indeed, I think some of their rhetoric introduces its own problems and makes slippery slope concessions that might be very difficult to take back in other cases.

 

Fr. Horan, for example, claims that barring children of homosexual parents from Catholic schools would lead to banning children whose parents are divorced, use birth control, or are married outside the Church. Oh, really?

 

Civil divorce is a bane built largely on sin, but divorced persons, as such, are not barred from any participation in Catholic life whatsoever. (Are there still Catholics in positions of influence who don't know this?) Why, then, use the specter of expelling children whose parents are simply divorced as an example of frightful consequences, unless one has a taste for red herring?

 

Contraception, too, is a very serious matter, but it is addressed by moral and pastoral theology, not by canon law and ecclesiastical governance. Thus parental contraception, though objectively sinful, provides no basis for consequences upon children in the external forum. (I’m assuming that contracepting parents don’t drop their kids off at Catholic school in sports cars blazoned with bumpers stickers proclaiming “Contracepting and Proud!”). Ironically, the acceptance of contraception by large numbers of Catholic laity, to say nothing of overwhelming numbers of non-Catholics, is the tap root for the gross caricature of marriage that same-sex weddings represent. On that, read experts such as Pope Paul VI or Dr. Janet Smith.

 

But, as for admitting into Catholic schools the children of those who are married outside the Church (or, while we’re at it, of couples simply cohabiting), that’s a somewhat different matter. Maybe it is time to reconsider the practice of tacit tolerance that Catholic institutions have shown on this point over the years, at least where such tolerance is being used as a wedge to widen the sore gap between Catholic principles and Catholic life in the crucial context of Catholic education. Homosexual behavior is objectively more disordered than modernity's version of concubinage, but decades of accommodating the latter have dulled our senses to its intrinsic gravity, leaving us in a weaker position to uphold marriage as Christ and His Church proclaim it.

 

Horan’s remarks are enlarged by Mr. Donohue. Leaving aside his prejudicial use of the word “retribution” (who wants to be in favor of that?), Donohue seems to have overlooked that the Church herself distinguishes between sinful actions, even grave ones, and sinful lifestyles. Sinful actions are usually treated in sacramental confession upon showing sorrow for the deed and exhibiting a firm purpose of amendment; sinful lifestyles, however, precisely because of their public nature and their persistent and defiant attitudes, can indeed provoke public consequences.

 

Moreover, surely Donohue acknowledges that Catholic schools are committed to a holistic educational approach, believing as they do that that the entire environment of a religious school contributes to the proper formation of the child. Are we suddenly to hold that, when faced with this prong of the homosexual agenda, the Church’s interest in defending the free exercise of religion within her own schools falters outside the catechism class? Are Catholic institutions so powerless over their own governance policies that surely any restriction they might wish to establish in this matter will “make no sense”? Donohue correctly points out that the children of homosexual couples have real rights, but then, do not also the children of families recognized by Christian (nay, every religious) tradition? How is it that the concerns of traditional parents are so obviously and completely wrong while those of same-sex couples are so obviously and completely right?

 

As for Donohue’s worry about what should be done with kids born out of wedlock, the answer is simple: nothing, if only because such a condition, of itself, says nothing about the lifestyle of the parents today. Donohue asks further, should we expel children whose parents are cohabiting? But, as I suggested above, while there might come a time when school practices on this point will need to be rethought, for now, the situation in Orange is more about admitting kids into elementary schools rather than expelling ones already enrolled. In other words, the problem before us is complex enough; let’s not complicate it prematurely.

 

Finally, Donohue’s baptism analogy is quite weak. For starters, the “baptize-anybody-who-asks” days are drawing to a close. Deo gratias. Such a practice is clearly at odds with the 1983 Code of Canon Law, requiring, as it does for the licit baptism of a child, a “founded hope” that the child will actually be raised Catholic (see 1983 CIC 868, and its predecessor 1917 CIC 750 suggesting the same point). Slothful clerical attitudes toward baptism and the demands of Christian living have simply enabled negligent pastors to pass along problems (invariably aggravated over time) to more conscientious persons, instead of dealing with them from the outset--and we all know where that sorry mindset has gotten us in other areas of Church life. In any case, it escapes me how Christ’s mandate to baptize all nations (Mt 28:19) and the unparalleled eschatological consequences of the sacrament of baptism are so easily parleyed into an admissions requirement for Catholic grade schools.

 

What I am suggesting is simply this: The issues raised by admitting into Catholic grade schools children from same-sex households are much deeper than implied by the statements offered so far in favor of or in opposition to such admission. Catholic schools are dogged by the impression that they are basically refuges for the rich fleeing failed public education. I think that view is unfair, but when parental contempt for the fundamental goals of Catholic education is so flagrant, how do Church officials escape the charge that one’s willingness to pay tuition is more important than one’s own willingness to live by and cooperate in the transmission of the vital values being taught? Certainly a Catholic child’s right to a Catholic education is of great importance (1983 CIC 217, 229, 793-795). But since when does this particular right become the prime directive before which all other considerations yield (1983 CIC 223)?

 

I urge that much more consideration be given to all of the demands that are made on students, parents, teachers, and administrators as the legitimate consequences of a Catholic school's very identity. ++

Source:  http://www.canonlaw.info/a_samesex.htm

Vicar refuses to allow lesbian couple to both be named as child's mother

The Rev George Gebauer says he feels sorry for gay people and believes there is something wrong with their make-up

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• theguardian.com, Tuesday 3 September 2013 19.52 BST

A vicar would not allow a lesbian couple to be both named as mother on the register of their son's baptism. Photograph: Elly Godfroy / Alamy/Alamy

A British vicar has refused to allow a lesbian couple to both be named as mother on the register of their child's baptism and claimed there was something wrong with the make-up of gay people.

The Rev George Gebauer argued that it would be illegal for both women to be recorded as the one-year-old boy's mother even though both have legal parental responsibility.

He went on to say he felt sorry for gay and lesbian people. "They produce too much hormone — they're imbalanced," he said. "That's the way they are. It's a medical issue."

After the vicar's stance became public, a more senior Church of England cleric stepped in to say that both women – the child's biological mother, Aimi Leggett, and her civil partner, Victoria Leggett – could after all be named as mothers to the child, Alfie, and the baptism would go ahead.

Aimi, 25, and Victoria, 22, had arranged the baptism at St Mary's churchin Warsash, Hampshire, with a previous vicar, but he left before the ceremony could take place. Retired clergy, including Gebauer, 87, are officiating until a replacement can be found.

When the Leggetts went to meet Gebauer he insisted one of them would have to be godmother, claiming the church register only had space for one mother and one father.

The pair promptly left the meeting deeply upset. Aimi, from Gosport, said: "There was no way one of us was going to be listed as the godparent. We are both Alfie's mum."

Aimi, who was herself baptised at St Mary's, said: "Rev Gebauer sat there and told us no child could have parents of the same sex, no child could have two mothers."

When he was questioned on Tuesday about his stance, Gebauer argued he did not refuse to baptise Alfie and the couple's sexuality was not an issue.

"However, when it came to the administrative side of things they insisted on both being listed as mum and refused to budge from their position," he said. "I told them I was unable to do this because the church baptism register only has space for one mother and one father. I believe it would be illegal for me to register them both as mother.

"This is nothing to do with their sexuality. The soul of the little boy is more important than anything else. We did not even push them for the name of the father, we were happy to leave that space blank."

He went on to say he felt sorry for gay people: "We know there is something not right within their make-up."

Later, one of the archdeacons of the Portsmouth diocese, the Ven Gavin Collins, intervened. He said: "Having spoken to Aimi Leggett, I'm pleased to report that the baptism of Alfie will go ahead at St Mary's church. We have addressed the legal issue.

"As I understand it, her partner, Victoria, has full legal co-parental responsibility for Alfie. We can therefore enter their details on to the baptism register as 'mother' and 'mother', as they would like."

Aimi, a design student, became pregnant with the use of an anonymous sperm donor. Alfie's birth certificate lists Aimi as mother but the father space remains blank.

She has been in a relationship with Victoria, a law student, for four years. They entered a civil partnership in October 2011 and the courts have given Victoria the same parental rights as Aimi. Formal adoption papers are being processed.

Gebauer will not be carrying out the baptism.

Source: theguardian.com

CCCB clears up confusion about baptism for children of same-sex couples

Ottawa, Canada, Jul 18, 2005 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Speaking on the impact of same-sex marriage on the Catholic Church in Canada, Cardinal Marc Ouellet reportedly told the Senate hearing committee last Wednesday that in the case of baptism, “according to our canon law, we cannot accept the signatures of two fathers or two mothers as parents of an infant” in our baptismal registers. His statement left the impression with several senators and observers that the Catholic Church would not allow the baptism of children of same-sex couples.

Senator Marcel Prud'homme took issue with the cardinal’s statement, saying that a child should not be denied baptism.

But Benoit Bariteau, associate general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the Ottawa Citizen that this would only be the case if both partners in a same-sex union insisted on signing the baptismal certificate.

"If the parents insist that the two signatures be on the act of baptism, if we say no, it will be their choice of seeking baptism or not," said Bariteau.

He explained that if one signature is sufficient for both parents, the Church would not refuse to baptize children of a same-sex couple.

In an interview with the Montreal Gazette the following day, Msgr. Allan McCormack pointed out that the Canadian bishops have not issued a uniform position on the issue. The Ottawa-based canon lawyer reportedly said it is up to individual priests, working under the authority of their bishop, to decide whether to baptize an infant.

Fr. John Walsh, pastor at St. John Brebeuf in Montreal, told the Gazette that it is a basic Catholic principle that the Church never refuses baptism to an infant. Fr. Walsh said he has already baptized children of same-sex couples and modified the register in these cases to list a mother and “parent.”
Source: catholicnewsagency.com

After three days of hearings, the Senate committee approved the bill and is expected to report back to the Senate today with a recommendation to pass Bill C-38 with no amendments.

The bill is expected to receive final passage in the Senate Tuesday or Wednesday.

Pope's Homily During Episcopal Ordinations

VATICAN CITY, October 25, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Here is the translation of Pope Francis’ homily during the Episcopal ordination of Archbishop Jean-Marie Speich, the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana and Archbishop Giampiero Gloder, newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio and President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

* * *

Let us reflect attentively on the lofty ecclesial responsibility to which these, our Brothers, have been called. Our Lord Jesus Christ sent by the Father to redeem men, in turn sent twelve Apostles to the world so that, full of the power of the Holy Spirit, they would proclaim the Gospel to all peoples  gathering them under one Shepherd, to sanctify them and lead them to salvation.

In order to perpetuate this apostolic ministry from generation to generation, the twelve made use of apostolic collaborators, transmitting to them with the imposition of hands, the gift of the Spirit received from Christ, which conferred the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Thus, through the uninterrupted succession of Bishops in the living tradition of the Church, this primary ministry has been preserved; it is the work of the Savior that is followed and developed down to our times.

In the Bishop surrounded by his presbyters Our Lord Jesus Christ himself is present in your midst, as High Priest in eternity.

It is Christ, in fact, who in the ministry of the Bishop continues preaching the Gospel of salvation and sanctifying believers through the sacraments of the faith. It is Christ who through the Bishop’s paternity adds new members to His Body, which is the Church. It is Christ who in the wisdom and prudence of the Bishop leads the People of God in the earthly pilgrimage to eternal happiness.

Receive, therefore, with joy and gratitude these our Brothers whom we Bishops, with the imposition of our hands, associate to the Episcopal College. Render them the honor that is due to Christ’s ministers and to those who dispense God’s ministries, to whom is entrusted the witness of the Gospel and the ministry of the Spirit for sanctification. Remember Jesus Christ’s words to the Apostles: “He who hears you hears me, he who scorns you scorns me, and he who scorns you scorns the One who sent me.”

As for you, Jean-Marie and Gianpiero, chosen by the Lord, reflect that you have been chosen among men and for men, you have been constituted in the things that refer to God. “Episcopate” is in fact the name of a service, not of an honor. It is for the Bishop to serve rather than dominate, according to the Master’s commandment: he who is the greatest among you must be the least, who governs as one who serves, always in service, always the service. Proclaim the word at all times, whether opportune or inopportune. Admonish, reprimand, exhort with all magnanimity and doctrine, and through prayer and the offering of sacrifice for your people, attain the fullness of sanctity of Christ, the manifold richness of divine grace, through prayer. Recall the first conflict in the Church of Jerusalem, when the Bishops had so much work to protect widows and orphans that they decided to appoint deacons. Why? To pray and to preach the Word. A Bishop who does not pray is a halfway bishop, and if he does not pray to the Lord he ends up in worldliness. In the Church that has been entrusted to you, be faithful custodians and dispensers of the mystery of Christ, placed by the Father at the head of his family. Follow always the example of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and is known by them, and who did not hesitate to give his life for them. The love of the Bishop: love with the love of a father and a brother all those whom God entrusts to you. Above all love the presbyters and deacons who are your collaborators, they are the ones who are closer to those close to you. Never make a presbyter wait for an audience. Answer them immediately. Be close to them. Love, also, the poor and the vulnerable and those who are in need of hospitality and help. And go with love to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit places you to rule the Church of God. Watch in the name of the Father in whose name you take the image, in the name of Jesus Christ his Son from whom you are constituted teachers, priests and pastors. And in the name of the Holy Spirit who gives life to the Church and with his power sustains our weakness. So be it.

[Translation by ZENIT]

Prayers of Augustines

According to St. Augustine, we need not pray for what we need because God already knows what we need before we even ask. Instead, we ought to pray, he suggests, to increase our desire for God, and so that we might be able to receive what He is preparing to give us.

"The deeper our faith, the stronger our hope, the greater our desire, the larger will be our capacity to receive the gift, which is very great indeed. .... The more fervent the desire, the more worthy will be its fruits. When the Apostle tells us: Pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:16), he means this: Desire unceasingly that life of happiness which is nothing if not eternal, and ask it of him alone who is able to give it."
(Letter 130)

The prayers below are widely attributed to Saint Augustine. Where verified, a citation is provided. The portrait of Augustine on this page was painted by German artist Willy Jakob, circa 1945 - 1949.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Act of Petition

Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself to me. Behold I love you, and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love you more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of your presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when you are not with me, when you are only outside me. I want you in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is utter want. Amen.

Prayer for the Indwelling of the Spirit

Holy Spirit, powerful Consoler, sacred Bond of the Father and the Son, Hope of the afflicted, descend into my heart and establish in it your loving dominion. Enkindle in my tepid soul the fire of your Love so that I may be wholly subject to you. We believe that when you dwell in us, you also prepare a dwelling for the Father and the Son. Deign, therefore, to come to me, Consoler of abandoned souls, and Protector of the needy. Help the afflicted, strengthen the weak, and support the wavering. Come and purify me. Let no evil desire take possession of me. You love the humble and resist the proud. Come to me, glory of the living, and hope of the dying. Lead me by your grace that I may always be pleasing to you. Amen.

Prayer on Finding God after a Long Search

Too late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient, O Beauty so new. Too late have I loved you!  You were within me but I was outside myself, and there I sought you! In my weakness I ran after the beauty of the things you have made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The things you have made kept me from you - the things which would have no being unless they existed in you! You have called, you have cried, and you have pierced my deafness. You have radiated forth, you have shined out brightly, and you have dispelled my blindness. You have sent forth your fragrance, and I have breathed it in, and I long for you. I have tasted you, and I hunger and thirst for you. You have touched me, and I ardently desire your peace. 

Confessions, X, 27, 38

Prayer to Seek God Continually

O Lord my God, I believe in you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Insofar as I can, insofar as you have given me the power, I have sought you. I became weary and I labored.  O Lord my God, my sole hope, help me to believe and never to cease seeking you. Grant that I may always and ardently seek out your countenance. Give me the strength to seek you, for you help me to find you and you have more and more given me the hope of finding you.   Here I am before you with my firmness and my infirmity. Preserve the first and heal the second. Here I am before you with my strength and my ignorance. Where you have opened the door to me, welcome me at the entrance; where you have closed the door to me, open to my cry; enable me to remember you, to understand you, and to love you. Amen.

Prayer for Self Knowledge

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You, and desire nothing save only You.
Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing except You.
Let me die to myself and live in You.
Let me accept whatever happens as from You.
Let me banish self and follow You, and ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
That I may deserve to be defended by You.
Let me fear for myself.
Let me fear You, and let me be among those who are chosen by You.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in You.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of You.
Let me cling to nothing save only to You,
And let me be poor because of You.
Look upon me, that I may love You.
Call me that I may see You, and for ever enjoy You. Amen.

Act of Hope

For your mercies' sake, O Lord my God, tell me what you are to me. Say to my soul: "I am your salvation." So speak that I may hear, O Lord; my heart is listening; open it that it may hear you, and say to my soul: "I am your salvation." After hearing this word, may I come in haste to take hold of you. Hide not your face from me. Let me see your face even if I die, lest I die with longing to see it. The house of my soul is too small to receive you; let it be enlarged by you. It is all in ruins; do you repair it. There are thing in it - I confess and I know - that must offend your sight. But who shall cleanse it? Or to what others besides you shall I cry out? From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord, and from those of others spare your servant. Amen.

Prayer for the Sick

Watch, O Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest your weary ones. Bless your dying ones. Soothe your suffering ones. Pity your afflicted ones. Shield your joyous ones. And for all your love's sake. Amen.

Prayer of Trust in God's Heavenly Promise

My God, let me know and love you, so that I may find my happiness in you. Since I cannot fully achieve this on earth, help me to improve daily until I may do so to the full. Enable me to know you ever more on earth, so that I may know you perfectly in heaven. Enable me to love you ever more on earth, so that I may love you perfectly in heaven. In that way my joy may be great on earth, and perfect with you in heaven. O God of truth, grant me the happiness of heaven so that my joy may be full in accord with your promise. In the meantime let my mind dwell on that happiness, my tongue speak of it, my heart pine for it, my mouth pronounce it, my soul hunger for it, my flesh thirst for it, and my entire being desire it until I enter through death in the joy of my Lord forever. Amen.

Source: Zenit

Cardinals to begin reform summit with pope

Reuters

Pope Francis attends a consistory at the Vatican
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Pope Francis (R) attends a consistory at the Vatican September 30, 2013. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Eight cardinals will begin closed-door meetings with Pope Francis on Tuesday to help him reform the Vatican's troubled administration and map out possible changes in the worldwide Church.

Francis, who has brought a new style of openness, simplicity and a conciliatory tone to the papacy, wants to consult more with Church officials around the world before making decisions affecting the life of the 1.2-billion-member Church.

Some of the topics expected to be discussed are how to give women a greater role in the Church short of the priesthood, financial reform, the position of divorced Catholics, and the continued fallout from the worldwide sexual abuse crisis.

Francis announced the papal advisory board of cardinals, revolutionary for a Church steeped in hierarchical tradition, a month after his election as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years and the first from Latin America.

His decision to take advise from the cardinals from Italy, Chile, India, Germany, Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, Australia and Honduras, is a clear sign that he intends to take seriously calls from within the Church for de-centralization in a traditionally top-heavy institution.

Each cardinal polled their faithful and bishops about what should be discussed at the meetings, which will be closed to even top officials from the Vatican's Secretariat of State, which is itself a target of reform.

The group's chairman, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, told a Canadian Catholic television network he had 80 pages of suggestions from Latin America alone.

The other cardinals on the advisory board are Giuseppe Bertello of Italy, Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa of Santiago, Chile, Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India, Reinhard Marx of Munich, Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Sean Patrick O'Malley of Boston and George Pell of Sydney.

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

The group's main task is to suggest changes to a constitution by the late Pope John Paul II called "Pastor Bonus," which gave the various departments that run the Church their current structure in 1988.

The Curia, as it is known, has been riven by scandals over the years and bishops around the world have deemed it heavy-handed, autocratic, condescending and overly bureaucratic.

Maradiaga said the constitution governing the structure of the Curia would have to be re-written rather than modified.

Former Pope Benedict, who resigned in February, left a secret report for Francis on the problems of the Curia, which were exposed when sensitive documents were stolen from Benedict's desk by his butler and leaked to the media.

There have been suggestions that some Vatican departments be merged and others closed in order to make the Curia more efficient and to prevent corruption.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters on Monday about 80 documents had been prepared for discussion.

"No-one should expect the Curia or the governance of the Church to be reformed in three days," he said, adding Francis had decided to make the council a permanent fixture with an open-ended mandate.

After three days of meetings, the eight cardinals will accompany Francis to the central Italian hill town of Assisi on Friday. Francis took his name from the saint who is revered around the world as a symbol of austerity, simplicity, concern for the poor and a love of the environment.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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