"Speaking with Cardinal Oscar gave us real insight into Pope Francis and what he is doing," said Archbishop John Dew, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.

Commenting on behalf of the NZ Bishop following the Cardinal's visit Archbishop John said "It was a great privilege having him here, especially as he came straight from the meeting of the Commission of Cardinals and the Pope' visit to Assisi."

"The discussions with the Cardinal made us all feel more connected to the Holy See and to the Holy Father. He has given us a sense of hope and excitement," Archbishop John said.

"He really listened in his discussions with us, which is an example of the kind of dialogue Pope Francis has been speaking of," he said.

"We were inspired by what the Cardinal to those gathered during the whakatau, that when Pope Francis says to go out to the periphery, he means not only those who are poor and marginalised but also those parts of the Church, like New Zealand, which are geographically distant,"

"He said that although he could not understand much of what was said in te reo the language of love and warmth was communicated through signs and gestures,"

"He told us he loved the whakatau, the speeches, the singing, the flower garlands. It made him feel not just welcome, but accepted into our midst." He said.

"Although here for a short visit I'm sure he will remember for a long time what he witnessed of the vibrant faith community here in Aotearoa."

Source

• Supplied by NZCBC
• Image: Adrian Heke supplied by NZCBC
  

The eight Cardinals, appointed by Pope Francis, who come from around the world will be looking to reshape the current administration of the Church.

When he is in New Zealand, Cardinal Rodrigues, who is also the President of Caritas Internationalis, will meet with the New Zealand Bishops and with the staff of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

A personal decree known as a "chirografo" issued by Francis said their official task of the advisory council is to advise him on "governance of the universal church" and help him revise the Pastor Bonus, the apostolic constitution on the curia drawn up by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

Indications are that that revision could be dramatic and could possibly lead to a new constitution.

Cardinal Rodríguez told Italian television last weekend that the group were not planning to just change "this and that".

"No, that constitution is over."

"Now it's something different. We need to write something different. But it's not going to take one month or two months." He said.

Cardinal Rodríguez said his group had received suggestions on Vatican reform from around the world, including 80 pages of suggestions from Latin America. The convergence on a few main themes suggested God's will was at work, he said.

"You cannot have millions of Catholics in the world suggesting the same unless the Holy Spirit is inspiring."

The pope's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said that throughout the three-day summit, the cardinals are meeting with the pope and a secretary in a private library in the apostolic palace. The pope's role is primarily to listen to what the men have to say.

The main language is Italian, but the cardinals are able to dip into their native tongue if needed. There will be no interpreters present. All are staying, alongside Francis, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse in the Vatican.

Source

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
• news.com.au
• The Telegraph
• The Guardian
• Image: Scottish Catholic Observer