During the period of the Vacant See, the Cardinal Camerlengo performs various functions, such as leading the preparations for the election of the new pope. Currently, this position is held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life since 2016.
Farrell is responsible for the Vatican’s sector that pastors the Community in all its aspects, being a direct representative of the Supreme Pontiff. The Dicastery is also responsible for promoting the World Youth Days.
In 2023, the Cardinal visited the General Diaconia of the Shalom Catholic Community in Aquiraz (CE). During the three-day visit, the Cardinal had the opportunity to learn about part of the Shalom Work and the evangelization efforts carried out by the Community.
Recap how the visit went.
Day 1: Farrell visits the Community government and Shalom da Paz
On the first day of the visit, January 20, Cardinal Farrell visited the General Diaconia and Shalom da Paz. During the visit, he was able to see how the Community is organized, the motherhouse, and the first snack bar created to evangelize the youth.
Day 2: Farrell preaches at the General Meeting of the Shalom Work
On Saturday (21), the Cardinal had the opportunity to visit the São Francisco House, which carries out Human Promotion actions with the homeless population and is responsible for part of the Shalom Project “Friend of the Poor.” Besides the visit, the prelate participated in the General Meeting of the Work.
Day 3: Farrell visits the Uirapuru Spiritual Condominium
On the last day of the visit, Cardinal Kevin Farrell visited the Uirapuru Spiritual Condominium (CEU), a place where various religious and social institutions unite, each with its own charisms and missions, developing activities to rescue and enhance human dignity, particularly for the most in need, helping them regain their lives. The Cardinal Camerlengo had the opportunity to visit the space that gathers different communities, movements, and institutes of the Catholic Church in Fortaleza.
Biography
With an extensive academic and spiritual background, including a bachelor’s degree in Arts, a master’s in Philosophy, a degree in Dogmatic and Pastoral Theology, and another master’s in Business and Administration from the University of Notre Dame in the United States, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell is one of the guests at the 2023 General Meeting of the Shalom Work.
Appointed in 2016 by Pope Francis to the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, which is part of the Roman Curia, with the mission of advising and assisting the Pope in dealing with Church matters worldwide, the Cardinal’s main work is promoting the Christian life of laypeople, families, couples, and youth in union with the Church and civil society, so they may be active witnesses of the Gospel and expressions of God’s goodness in today’s world.
Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell was born in 1947 in Dublin, Ireland. He entered the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1978. Farrell became the Bishop of Dallas in 2007 after serving 24 years in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
During that time, the Bishop took over the Hispanic Center in Washington, which offers several social services to the Latin community in the American capital, helping people in vulnerable and impoverished situations. Farrell circulates easily among the poor, young people, affluent diplomats, and influential figures.
