Alvare named consultor to Pontifical Council for the Laity

Published: 2008-05-05

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Helen Alvare, an associate professor of law at The Catholic University of America, has been appointed as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity by Pope Benedict XVI. She becomes one of 20 consultors to the 36-member council. In her role, Alvare will "advise the Holy Father and therefore the universal church on particular problems or questions regarding the laity that may arise," she said in a statement. "The appointment inspires me to redouble my efforts toward scholarship on the situation particularly of Catholic laywomen and families insofar as this might be helpful to the universal church." Alvare is one of six people with ties to Catholic University who assist various Vatican bodies. The others are: Sister Rose McDermott, a Sister of St. Joseph who advises the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Father Paul McPartlan, consultor to the International Theological Commission; Vincentian Father David M. O'Connell, Catholic University president, serving with the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education; and Msgr. Robert Trisco and Nelson Minnich, members of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences.

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