View from Rome

Pope Francis was due back in Rome on Thursday, where a fairly full in-tray was waiting for him. Before he set off for Mexico, the Pope met his council of cardinal advisers, the so-called “C9”, for a long session devoted to decentralisation of the Roman Curia. This desire to move power away from Rome was set out by Francis during a major speech last October, when he has made it clear he wants to see a synodal, collegial Church – as envisaged by the Second Vatican Council – rather than a centralised one.  But how does this work in practice? And what do you do with the Roman Curia?The C9 has left the Pope with proposals for two new Vatican departments: one is a congregation for laity, family and life – which Francis announced during last October’s Syn