September 30, (THEWILL) – Pope Francis, on Saturday, elevated 21 clergymen from distant corners of the world to the rank of cardinal, saying diversity was indispensable to the future of the Catholic Church.
The new red-hatted princes of the Church as they call them, include key figures and head from different countries; France, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, Portugal including US..
The appointment is seen as a move to cement his legacy and reform the church.
The choice of the new cardinals, who include diplomats, close advisers and administrators, is closely watched as an indication of the priorities and position of the Church.
The 86-year-old seated under a canopy before the gathered cardinals on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, said “The College of Cardinals is called to resemble a symphony orchestra, representing the harmony and synodality of the Church.”
Saturday’s ceremony, known as a consistory, is the ninth since Francis in 2013, was named head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
One by one, the scarlet-clad cardinals knelt before the pope, who bestowed on them the two symbols of their high office: a scarlet four-cornered cap known as a biretta, and a cardinal’s ring.
With the new appointment, there are now 137 cardinal electors. But from the list of 21, eighteen are under the age of 80 and therefore are eligible to vote as “cardinal electors” in the next conclave, when Francis’ successor will be decided. The remaining three being of the age of 80 and above were given the honor due to their extensive service in the church
The list includes the Holy Land’s top Catholic authority, Italian Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the first seated Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to be made cardinal.
