The Pontifical Councils for Laity and for the Family will become one dicastery, also a pontifical council.

The new body should begin its work on September 1, but it is still unknown who will head it.

Francis had previously voiced the possibility of a married couple heading this new dicastery.

But the document released on Saturday says it will be headed by a prefect, always a cardinal or an archbishop "unless specified" by "some special law".

It will also have a secretary, "who could be a lay person", and three sub-secretaries, one for laity, one for family and one for life, that "will have to be laity".

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