Dear Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is with great joy today that I meet with you and with those who serve in the Dicastery for Consecrated Life. In particular, I welcome the Cardinals and Bishops who have recently become Members, and I thank the Cardinal Prefect for the greeting he addressed to me on everyone’s behalf; and I thank the Secretary and the two Undersecretaries for this “logo”, which I saw yesterday in L’Osservatore Romano but did not quite understand what it was; now I understand!

I find the title you selected for this session, “New wine in new wineskins”, beautiful and meaningful. In the light of this Gospel phrase you have reflected on consecrated life in the present-day Church, 50 years after the Constitution Lumen Gentium and the Decree Perfectae Caritatis.

More...