Pope Francis appoints Advincula to Dicastery for Bishops

Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula. (Photo courtesy of Archdiocese of Capiz)

MANILA, Philippines — Cardinal Jose Advincula, the archbishop of Manila, is one of the new members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, according to a report on the CBCP News website.

Pope Francis appointed Advincula to the dicastery, the second Vatican office of which the latter has been a member since becoming a cardinal in 2020.

“The members of the dicastery assist in choosing bishops for the dioceses. They analyze position papers, called ponenze, providing an opinion on candidates,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said on its website.

“The ultimate decision in appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses. Usually, the pope’s representative in a country, the apostolic nuncio, passes on recommendations and documentation to the Vatican. The Dicastery of Bishops then discusses the appointment in a further process and takes a vote. On being presented with the recommendations, the pope makes the final decision,” it added.

The first office that Advincula became a member of was the Congregation for the Clergy.

Also appointed on Wednesday to the Dicastery for Bishops were “two religious sisters and one consecrated virgin, the first time women have been appointed to the dicastery.”

Below is the list of Pope Francis’ appointments as Dicastery members:

• Cardinal Anders Arborelius, OCD, Bishop of Stockholm (Sweden)
• Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, Archbishop of Manila (Philippines)
• Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church
• Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops
• Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
• Cardinal-elect Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy
• Cardinal-elect Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille (France)
• Cardinal-elect Oscar Cantoni, Bishop of Como (Italy)
• Archbishop Dražen Kutleša, Archbishop of Split-Makarska (Croatia)
• Bishop Paul Desmond Tighe, Secretary of the former Pontifical Council for Culture
• Father Dom Donato Ogliari , OSB, Abbot of the Abbey of San Paolo fuori le Mura and Apostolic Administrator of the Territorial Abbey of Montecassino (Italy)
• Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State
• Sister Yvonne Reungoat, FMA, former Superior General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
• Dr. Maria Lia Zervino, President of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations

The membership of Zervino “marks the first appointment ever of a laywoman to the Vatican dicastery,” CBCP said, citing the Vatican News.

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