CONSISTORY OF COLLEGE OF CARDINALS TO CONVENE MONDAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul has called all 183 cardinals of the Church to meet in the Vatican from May 21 to 24 to reflect on the theme "Prospects of the Church for the Third Millennium, in the light of 'Novo millennio ineunte'." It is the sixth time in his pontificate that he has summoned the College of Cardinals to an extraordinary consistory.

Canon 349 of the Code of Canon Law explains that the cardinals of Holy Roman Church "assist the Roman Pontiff collegially when they are called together to deal with questions of major importance; they do so individually when they assist the Roman Pontiff in the daily care of the universal Church by means of the different offices they perform."

The cardinals will meet for three days in both morning and afternoon sessions. On Thursday, May 24, feast of the Ascension, they will concelebrate Mass with Pope John Paul in St. Peter's Basilica. Afterwards they will have lunch with him in the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae residence.

Cardinals Bernardin Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, and Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will act as moderators during the three-day consistory.

On May 21 there will be reports on the Jubilee Year and a brief introduction to the consistory's theme by Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. Individual speeches are scheduled for each day of the meetings. There will also be meetings by language groups. On May 23, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez will present the Final Report.

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