Former Vatican official disappointed with changes to his council

Published: 2006-04-11

ROME (CNS) -- The former head of the Vatican's office on pastoral care for migrants said he was never consulted about changes being made to the pontifical council he headed for almost eight years. Japanese Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, who served as president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers since June 1998, said he was disappointed and saddened by the way the curial reform took place. He only learned his post was being absorbed by another council when he read it in the newspaper. "Nobody consulted me," he said. "I felt a little bit -- how do you say it -- sad," the cardinal said in a March 15 interview with UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand which published the story online April 7. The 76-year-old cardinal learned from reading newspapers that the council's presidency would temporarily be led by Italian Cardinal Renato Martino, who heads the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The cardinal, who submitted his resignation last year when he turned 75, as required of all bishops, found out the pope accepted his resignation during late February meetings with Vatican officials.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .