Vatican City, Oct 22, 2015 / 11:27 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis announced Thursday to the Synod on the Family that he has chosen to establish a new office in the Roman Curia that will deal with issues of laity, family, and life, as part of his reform of the curia.

“I have decided to establish a new Dicastery with competency for Laity, Family and Life, that will replace the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family,” Pope Francis said Oct. 22, according to a communique from the Holy See press office. The Pontifical Academy for Life will be joined to the new Dicastery.

“To this end, I have constituted a special commission that will prepare a text delineating canonically the competencies of the new Dicastery. The text will be presented for discussion to the Council of Cardinals at their next meeting in December."

The Pope added that in addition to the pontifical councils for the laity and the family, the Pontifical Academy for Life will also joined to the new office.

Pope Francis' decision has been widely anticipated since he established, shortly after his 2013 election as Bishop of Rome, the Council of Cardinals to advise him on the reform of the Roman Curia.