The draft had been sent to leaders of the world's bishops' conferences, the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the conferences of major superiors of men and women religious, the synods of the Eastern Catholic churches and some pontifical universities for their observations and suggestions.

The Vatican press office issued a communique Sept. 19 saying the council members met Sept. 17-19, and Pope Francis was present except when he had a scheduling conflict.

The cardinals met to "review and change the draft of the new apostolic constitution according to the many contributions that arrived from bishops' conferences, from the specific observations from the dicasteries of the Roman Curia and suggestions provided" by other organizations involved in the consultations, the communique said.

Once the draft is amended once more, it will be given to the pope for his consideration. The proposed apostolic constitution is provisionally titled "Praedicate Evangelium" ("Preach the Gospel").

All six members of the council attended the fall meetings: Cardinals Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state; Sean P. O'Malley of Boston; Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India; Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany; and Giuseppe Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City State. Also in attendance were the council's secretary and adjunct secretary: Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano and Bishop Marco Mellino.

The Council of Cardinals, which has been advising the pope on the reform of the Curia and church governance in general, is scheduled to meet again Dec. 2-4.