Peritus

Peritus (Latin for "expert") is the title given to Roman Catholic theologians who are present to give advice at an Ecumenical council. At the most recent, the Second Vatican Council, some "periti" (the plural form) accompanied individual Bishops or groups of Bishops from various countries. Others were formally appointed as advisers to the whole Council. Father Joseph Ratzinger now Pope Benedict XVI served as the peritus to Josef Cardinal Frings, Archbishop of Cologne, Germany, while Hans Küng was a "peritus" for the Council, rather than for an individual Bishop. The influential German theologian Father Karl Rahner S.J. served as peritus to Franz Cardinal Konig of Vienna. John Henry Newman refused an invitation to be a "peritus" at the First Vatican Council.