On Wednesday, Pope Francis issued a Motu Proprio creating a new Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The new dicastery will address issues regarding migrants, the needy, sick, excluded and marginalized, the imprisoned and unemployed, as well as victims of armed conflict, natural disasters, and of every type of slavery and torture.
Pope Francis, himself, has stated he will be in charge of the area dedicated to migrants and refugees.
With the creation of the dicastery on January 1, 2017, these four Pontifical Councils will cease to exist: the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum,' the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People and the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers. All four will be joined under this new dicastery.
Cardinal Peter Turkson will serve as Prefect of the new dicastery. He is currently President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which is one of the councils that will be eliminated on Jan. 1.
The pope said â??the Church is called to promote the integral development of the human person in the light of the Gospel,â?? so the current successor of St. Peter must â??continuously adapt the institutions which collaborate with him.â??
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