Major appointments awaited after cardinals' October meeting

Vatican City, Aug 24, 2013 / 04:02 pm (CNA).- Despite rumors about the supposedly imminent appointment of a new Secretary of State, Pope Francis will not be making any major appointments before October, Vatican insiders maintain.

Pope Francis responded to the cardinals' suggestions and requests by appointing on April 13 the group of eight cardinals to advise him about a possible Curia reform.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, one of the group's members, signaled in a March 4 interview with CNA that the pre-conclave meetings helped the cardinals to discuss “the Church’s governing body.”

A curial reform is needed to improve the relationships among the various departments of the Church’s central governing body and the universal Church, he added.

The appointment of this group of cardinals raised expectation for a curial reform and encouraged speculations about a new Secretary of State to be appointed soon.