United States pro-life activist Professor Helen Alvare was one of only six non-Europeans among 24 new appointments to the Pontifical Council for the Laity announced by Pope Benedict last week. The nominations included 18 Europeans, three South Americans but only one person from each of North America, Asia and and Africa.
No Australians were among the nominations.
Four new prelates - including Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz and German Archbishop Reinhard Marx - were appointed to the Pontifical Council for the Laity (PCL) which assists the pope by advising on matters concerning the contribution the lay faithful make to the life and mission of the Church.
Members and consultors of the PCL participate either as "individuals or through the various forms of association that have arisen and constantly arise within the Church", the Vatican's website says.
Ecclesial movements and groups represented include Italian Catholic Action, the Christian Life Association of Peru, and the Community of Christian Life, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Institute of Families of Schonstatt, Chile. Other movements included the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Communion and Liberation, and E. Christians. Professor Helen Alvare is currently an associate professor at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. Prior to teaching at the law school, she worked at the United States Conference on Catholic Bishops.The first position she held with the USCCB was in the Office of General Counsel, after which she became the director of information and planning for the bishops' pro-life office. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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