A Constitutional Convention has recommended removing the blasphemy provision, following overwhelming support for this in submissions.

But a date for a referendum has yet to be decided.

The Church of Ireland's David Pierpont, Archdeacon of Dublin, told a service that caution should be used when changing the constitution, especially on issues of morality.

The Archdeacon said the law, although essential for the conduct of human affairs, has a "limited place in them".

Law is there to protect the weak and at times we all need that protection, he said.

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The aim is to emphasise the Curia's role of service to the universal Church and the local churches "in terms of subsidiarity, rather than the exercise of centralised power", Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said in a media briefing.

Currently the Curia operates under an apostolic constitution called Pastor Bonus (The Good Shepherd), drawn up by Pope John Paul II when he reformed the Curia in 1988.

Father Lombardi said a new constitution can be expected — not a "simple upgrade".

"The cardinals have made it clear that they do not intend to make cosmetic retouches or minor modifications to Pastor Bonus," he said.

Father Lombardi said the Pope and the eight cardinals also considered the role of the Vatican Secretariat of State and believed it should be reoriented to be "the secretariat of the Pope". This orientation would be part of the guidelines given to the newly appointed Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Paroli, who takes office on October 15.

In addition, a separate figure acting as a "Moderator of the Curia" could be appointed to co-ordinate relations between the Pope and the heads of the various Vatican departments and offices.

Father Lombardi said one of the topics mentioned most often in the suggestions received from around the world was concern for the role of the laity in the Church and in the world.

The Pope and his cardinal advisers talked about "how to ensure that this dimension of the Church's reality is more adequately and effectively recognised and followed in the governance of the Church," Father Lombardi said.

He said the Pontifical Council for the Laity is "very active", but does not have the profile or authority of a Vatican congregation, such as those for bishops, for priests and for religious.

Sources:

Catholic News Service

Vatican Radio

Image: Salt and Light TV

"The upcoming extraordinary general chapter comes at the end of a long journey of spiritual renewal and will have as its principle purpose the conclusion of the revising of the constitutions,"
said Cardinal Velasio De Paolis.

Cardinal De Paolis was appointed governor of the Legion in 2010, after its founder, Father Marcel Maciel, was removed from public ministry and an apostolic visitation determined the Legion needed "profound re-evaluation".

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"The provisions that in the old constitution seemed bad in the eyes of Christians are highlighted in the new text," said Kamal Fahim Awad (Boutros) Hanna of Minya.

He said the text says the interpretation of Sharia law should be in accordance with the body of laws developed in the early centuries of Islam, and an article on the rights of Christians and Jews has been eliminated.

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The court's ruling, which could have ramifications for marriage laws across the country, is not expected until next June.

The court has chosen to hear two cases challenging state and federal laws that define marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

One of the cases argues that Californian voters violated the federal constitution on 2008 when a referendum overrode a decision of the state's Supreme Court allowing same-sex marriages.

The other case is against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman for purposes of federal law. The Act received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

President Barack Obama, the first sitting US president to voice support for a redefinition of marriage, last year instructed the Department of Justice to stop defending the law in court.

Since the US elections last month, the number of states that authorise same-sex marriages has increased to nine.

"The US Supreme Court's decision to hear these cases is a significant moment for our nation," said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, chairman of the bishops' subcommittee for the promotion and defence of marriage.

"Marriage is the foundation of a just society, as it protects the most vulnerable among us, children," he said. "It is the only institution that unites children with their mothers and fathers together.

"We pray for the court, that its deliberations may be guided by truth and justice so as to uphold marriage's true meaning and purpose."

Meanwhile, the bishops' conference has announced a campaign of prayer and fasting for the "rebuilding of a culture favourable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty".

Sources:

National Catholic Register

New York Times

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Image: WDDE

A primary concern is an article enshrining the "principles" of shari'ah law as the primary source of legislation. "The only ones who can understand this article are graduates of al-Azhar [the Cairo-based center of Islamic scholarship]," said the president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, Safwat el-Baiadi.

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