He papa Francisco asked the 21 new cardinals which he designated this Saturday in his tenth consistory held in St. Peter’s Basilica that they be “unit builders” and dedicate themselves to the care of the most fragile.
Francis, who appeared with a bruise on one side of his face, began the ceremony by warning the new members of the college of cardinals: “Sometimes we run the risk of concentrating on the superfluous, forgetting the essential. Too often secondary things take the place of what is necessary.externalities prevail over what really matters, we immerse ourselves in activities that we consider urgent, without reaching the heart.”
And he reminded them that “Jesus is the fundamental point of support, the center of gravity of our service, the ‘cardinal point’ that guides our entire life.”.
And he added that like Jesus, “what should animate your service as cardinals is the risk of the journey, the joy of meeting others, the care of the most fragile.”
Likewise, the pontiff called on them to be “witnesses of fraternity, artisans of communion and builders of unity” and to walk “with humility, with amazement and with joy.”
In this consistory, The Pope appointed 21 new cardinals and, among them, the archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castilo Mattasoglio; that of Santiago de Chile, Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib; that of Santiago del Estero and Argentine primate, Vicente Bokalic Iglic (72); and the one from Guayaquil, the Ecuadorian Gerardo Luis Cabrera (69) and the Brazilian archbishop of Porto Alegre, Jaime Spengler.
In total, Latin America will have 24 cardinals (among them one, the emeritus of Santiago de Chile Celestino Aos Braco, born in Spain).
They are also found Frank Leoarchbishop of Toronto, Canada; Timothy Radcliffeformer teacher of the Dominicans of England; George Jacob Koovakadthe Indian-born papal travel organizer, and Dominique Joseph Mathieubishop of Tehran-Ispahan, the first cardinal of this country, or the Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishop Mykola Bychokwho lives in Melbourne and is 44 years old.
Among them twenty cardinal electorsthat is, those under 80 years of age who will be able to participate in a future conclave to elect a new pope and only one non-elector, the Italian Angelo Acerbi99 years old, former apostolic nuncio.
The creation ceremony of those who used to be called “princes of the Church” began with the presentation of the new cardinals who then, as the ritual requires, They knelt before the Pope, who gave them the ringsymbol of his new universal commitment to the Church, and the capred like the blood of the martyrs who gave their lives to defend their faith.
With these appointments, from 17 different countries and presence on five continents, the number of members of the college of cardinals rises to 253among them 140 with the right to vote, the highest number ever recorded since Paul VI set the maximum number of voters at 120although in 2025 it is expected that 14 will turn 80 years old.
(With information from EFE)
