Vatican City, Apr 24, 2008 / 12:49 pm (CNA).- The Pontifical Council for the Laity received a raft of appointments from Pope Benedict XVI today. Among the appointments was that of the U.S. academic and pro-life advocate Helen Alvare, who will serve as a consultor to the council. 

The Pontifical Council for the Laity assists the Pope by advising him on everything that concerns the contribution the lay faithful make to the life and mission of the Church. They do so either as “individuals or through the various forms of association that have arisen and constantly arise within the Church,” according to the Vatican’s web site.

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.

New Members

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland

Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany

Paola Bignardi, co-ordinator of the international forum of Italian Catholic Action

Matteo Calisi, president of the Catholic Fraternity of "Comunita e Associazioni Carismatiche di Alleanza", Italy

Henrique Elias, procurator of the Christian Life Association, Peru

Katarina Hulmanova, co- ordinator of the forum of Catholic organisations of the Bishops' Conference of Slovakia

Pilar Jensen of the Institute of Families of Schonstatt, Chile

Guy Maginzi, secretary general of the Community of Christian Life, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Josep Miro i Ardevol, founder of "E. Cristians" and animator of the Conventions of Christians for Europe, Barcelona, Spain

Michelle Moran, president of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services, Great Britain

Norbert Muller, professor of the University of Mainz, Germany

Balazs Schanda, dean of the faculty of law at the Peter Pazmany Catholic University of Budapest, Hungary

Guilherme Vaz, director of Education and Technology, Mumbai, India

Lola Velarde, president of the European Institute for Family Policy, Spain

Karol Zyczkowski, professor of the Jagellonica University of Krakow, Poland

New Consultors

Bishop Carlo Mazza of Fidenza, Italy

Msgr. Piero Coda of the diocese of Frascati, Italy

Fr. Julian Carron, president of the Communion and Liberation association, Spain

Helen Alvare, professor at the Catholic University of America, U.S.A.

Edio Costantini, president of the Italian Sporting Centre

Moyses de Azevedo, founder of the Shalom Community, Brazil

Guillermo Leon Escobar-Herran, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome

Salvatore Martinez, president of Renewal in the Holy Spirit, Italy

Danuta Piekarz, Poland

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