6. In the light of these considerations, and supported by the opinion of experts, priests, religious and laity, I have arranged to constitute a Pontifical Commission for the Apostolate of Health Care Workers, which will serve as the coordinating organism for all theca Catholic institutions, religious and lay, committed to the apostolate of the sick. It will be connected with the Pontifical Council for the Laity, of which it will be an organic part, although maintaining its own organizational and operational individuality.

The duties of the Commission will be the following:

—to stimulate and foster the work of formation, study and action carried out by theca various intentional Catholic organizations, as well as by other groups, associations and organizations which, on various Ievels and in various ways, operate in this sector;

—to coordinate the activities carried out by the various departments of the Roman Curia in relation to the health care world and its problems;

—to spread, explain and defend the Church's teachings on the subject of health care, and to encourage their penetration into health care practices;

—to maintain contacts with theca local Churches and, in particular, with the Episcopal commissions for the health care world;

—to follow carefully and to study organizational orientations and concrete initiatives of health care policies on both the international and the national levels, with the purpose of discerning their relevance and implications for the Church's apostolate.

The Pontifical Commission will be presided over by the Cardinal President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and will be managed by a coordination group headed by a Pro-President (Archbishop) and a Secretary (not a bishop).

It is the President's task to direct the Plenary Assemblies of the Members and Consultors. In addition, the President will be informed in advance of decisions of major importance and will be kept up to date on the ordinary activity of the Commission.

It will be the Pro-President's task to promote, manage, preside over and coordinate the organizational and operational activities of the Pontifical Commission.

The Members and Consultors, appointed by me, will represent:

a) some departments and organisms of the Roman Curia (Secretariat of State; Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the Eastern Churches, for Religious and the Secular Institutes, for the Evangelization of Peoples, and for Catholic Education; the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Council for the Family the Pontifical Academy of Sciences);

b) the Episcopate (Episcopal Commissions for the health care world);

c) religious orders engaged in hospital work;

d) the laity (representatives of the international Catholic organizations and other groups and associations which operate in the health care field and in the world of suffering) .

In fulfilling its mission, the Pontifical Commission may seek the collaboration of experts and establish ad hoc working groups on specific questions.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's on February 11, 1985, the seventh year of our Pontificate.