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Gulf Pine Catholic • May 4, 2018 18 gave a report on the work of the commission on behalf of children and vulnerable adults, includ- ing an explanation of what took place during the PCPM’s recent plenary meeting in Rome. O’Malley also welcomed a group from the United Kingdom, called the “Survivor Advisory Panel,” and reiterated the PCPM’s commitment to begin their work with first listening to victims of sexual abuse and their experiences. All members of the council were present throughout the week except for Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, who has been in Australia since last summer fac- ing charges of historical sex abuse. Cardinal Reinhard Marx was absent Monday. As usual, Pope Francis was present for all ses- sions apart from Wednesday morning, when he holds the weekly general audience. Established by Pope Francis shortly after his pon- tificate began in 2013, the Council of Cardinals -- also known as the “C9” -- serves as an advisory body on Church governance and reform, with special emphasis on the reform of Pastor bonus, the apostolic constitu- tion which governs the Roman Curia. The council’s next round of meetings will take place June 11-13. Council of Cardinals prep new constitution for Roman Curia VATICAN CITY ( CNA/EWTN News ) -- Pope Francis and his Council of Cardinals met this week to continue their discussion of curial reform and to work on the draft of a new apostolic con- stitution outlining the structure and duties of the Roman Curia. There is no predicted release date for the apostolic constitution, but the drafting and edit- ing, “will take some time,” according to an April 25 Vatican communique. When finished, it will be presented to Pope Francis for further consulta- tion and final approval. The major part of this week’s meetings, which took place April 23-25 at the Vatican, were dedi- cated to re-reading the current draft of the consti- tution, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said in a briefing April 25. The Council of Cardinals -- who advise the pope on matters of Church governance and reform -- also discussed how the Roman Curia can be at the ser- vice to the Holy Father and the particular Churches; the pastoral character of curial activity; and the institution and operation of the third section of the Secretary of State, which was established in November to oversee the Holy See’s diplomatic corps. They also conversed on the announcement of the Gospel and the missionary spirit as a perspective that characterizes the activity of the whole Curia. During the meetings, the pope and cardinals received an update on the progress of the reform of the Vatican communications system by Msgr. Lucio Ruiz, secretary and actingprefect of theSecretariat forCommunications. Notably, there was no update on the state of the Vatican’s financial reforms, a typical topic of the coun- cil’s reunions. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), St. Peter’s Basilica. Credit: vvo/Shutterstock Pope Francis: The Last Supper teaches us three foundational truths VATICAN CITY ( CNA/EWTN News ) -- Pointing to Jesus’ words during the Last Supper, Pope Francis offered meditations on love, service and humility during his homily at daily Mass on April 26. The Pope reflected on the day’s Gospel, John 13, which recounts the moments of the Last Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and washed the feet of his disciples. Christ’s actions in these moments, Pope Francis said, teach the Church three “foundational truths.” The first lesson is the commandment of love, which is exemplified in the Eucharist, the pope said April 26. “Love is without limits. Without it, the Church cannot move forward; the Church can- not breathe. Without love, she cannot grow, and is transformed into an empty institution, made up of appearances and actions without fecundity,” the Holy Father said. “In his bodily actions, Jesus tells us how we should love, that is, until the end,” he continued, saying that just as Jesus gave himself “to eat and drink, he tells us to love one another in this way.” The second gesture of washing His disciples’ feet points to another commandment: service. “Washing the feet, he tells us to serve each other in like manner,” the pope reflected. In this gesture of service, he noted, lies the third lesson of humility, because “no servant is greater than his master.” “The awareness is that He is greater than all of us, and that we are servants who cannot go beyond Jesus,” Pope Francis said. “He is the Lord, not us. This is the Lord’s will.” “But beware: no servant is greater than the one who sent him, the master. These blunt words and actions are the foundations of the Church. If we proceed in like fashion with these three points, we shall never fail.” The pope additionally underscored the wit- nesses of the saints of the Church whose actions radiate what it means to truly serve and who lived “with the awareness of being servants.” Pope Francis ended his homily inviting the faithful gathered to enter into silence, so as to welcome the gaze of the Lord. “Let Jesus’ gaze enter into me. We will feel many things: love, maybe nothing… we might feel trapped there or feel shame,” he said. “But always let Jesus’ gaze in. It is the same gaze with which he looked at his disciples at supper.” Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Casa Santa Marta on April 26, 2018. Credit: Vatican Media