Pontifical Commission for Latin America
The Pontifical Commission for Latin America is a department of the Roman Curia. Established by Pope Pius XII on 19 April, 1958, it is charged with providing assistance to and examining matters pertaining to the Church in Latin America. The Commission operates under the auspices of the Congregation for Bishops.
The current President of the Commission is Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, in virtue of his position as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
Role
According to Article 83 of the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988, "the function of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America is to be available to the particular Churches in Latin America, by counsel and by action, taking a keen interest in the questions that affect the life and progress of those Churches; and especially to help the Churches themselves in the solution of those questions, or to be helpful to those dicasteries of the Curia that are involved by reason of their competence."
Current structure
- President: Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS
- Vice-President: Guzmán Carriquiry Lecour,[1]
Emeriti (no longer part of the structure)
- President Emeritus: Giovanni Battista Re
List of Presidents of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America
- Marcello Mimmi (1958 – 1961)
- Carlo Confalonieri (1961 – 1967)
- Antonio Samoré (1967 – 1969)
- Carlo Confalonieri (1969 – 1973)
- Sebastiano Baggio (1973 – 1984)
- Bernardin Gantin (1984 – 1998)
- Lucas Moreira Neves, OP (1998 – 2000)
- Giovanni Battista Re (2000 - 2010)
- Marc Ouellet, PSS (2010 - )