Pope Francis wasn’t the only man wearing white at the Dec. 7 ceremony at the Vatican to create 21 new cardinals.
Two members of the Catholic Church’s most elite body, which selects the next pope, have ditched their traditional scarlet vestments and chosen to continue wearing simple white religious customs.
This was an appropriate response, given the marching orders the Pope presented here in the Vatican to those currently tasked with being his closest allies.
“You will be a shining beacon in the midst of a society obsessed with appearance and power,” the pope said.
“Our minds can wander and be seduced by the temptations of prestige and power,” he warned the men, often referred to as the “princes of the church.”
At the Vatican ceremony that day, the pope appeared to have bruises on his chin and neck. The Vatican later revealed that the Pope suffered the injury on Dec. 6 when he fell and hit his jaw on his bedside table.
On October 6, Francis again announced the creation of new cardinals. The Pope has repeatedly called on church leaders to adopt a lifestyle of frugality and humility, and he reinforced that message at the Vatican constiori on Dec. 7.
Of the current 140 cardinals, he has nominated 110 who are under 80 and eligible to participate in future papal councils. Of the remaining voting-age cardinals, 24 were appointed by Pope Benedict XVI and six by Pope John Paul II.
Like past members, the group of 21 new cardinals reflects the Pope’s desire to expand the geographical diversity of the College of Cardinals. So far, Francis has given the cardinal’s red hat to clergy from around 30 countries that had not previously been represented in the elected body.
Ten of the new cardinals are from religious orders, including two Dominicans, Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, and an English priest. Timothy Radcliffe – received special permission from the Pope to continue wearing white habits rather than the ornate cardinal regalia.
As cardinals received gold rings and red silk birettas at a Vatican ceremony, the pope warned his new advisers to beware of “the corrosive competition of this world.”
Their mission, the pope asserted, was to “walk in the path of Jesus” by promoting the unity of the church.
“The Lord looks to you, who come from different backgrounds and cultures and represent the Catholic nature of the Church. He calls you to be witnesses of fraternity, artisans of communion, builders of unity. ” Francis said.
The composition of today’s new cardinals was chosen at a sensitive time. Francisco will celebrate his 88th birthday in 10 days. Despite some underlying health issues and regular use of a wheelchair, Pope continues to work at a vigorous pace.
But as one of the oldest popes in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, the reality that these people could someday soon sit in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pope makes the Vatican’s It was a must-see at the festival.
Many of the new cardinals, like others promoted by Francis, are relatively unknown but notable individuals who share the pope’s pastoral priorities, especially when it comes to serving those on the fringes of the church. There are some too. among them:
Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tarcisio of Tokyo, is the current president of Caritas, the Church’s global charity organization. Archbishop Roberto Lepore of Turin, Italy, is a theologian whose research has emphasized the need for the Church to be open to the modern world. Father Timothy Radcliffe, former president of the worldwide Dominican Order, served as the Pope’s preacher at the 2023 and 2024 synods. Mr. Vesco, 62, the Dominican archbishop of Algiers, is well known for his pastoral assistance to divorced and remarried Catholics and for his participation in interreligious dialogue.
In an interview prior to the constituency meeting, Vesco made it clear that his promotion would not change his behavior.
“As a cardinal, I will continue to speak my mind freely,” Besco told French Catholic daily La Croix.
The Dec. 7 ceremony will be the 10th time Francis has created a new cardinal during his 12-year pontificate. In contrast, Pope John Paul II held nine churches over nearly 30 years. As of today, Francis has named almost 80% of the men who will one day choose his successor.
Historian Christopher Berritt, who has written about the history of the papacy, said the frequency of Francis’ lectures signals a desire to remake the university to better reflect a more global church.・Told the reporter.
“He wants voices from the fringes to have a seat at the big central table, but he also wants to bring their concerns into the broader conversation, as happened at the conference.” Berit said.
“Critics say we’re terrible at getting like-minded people into our universities. That accusation is ridiculous,” Berritt continued. “Every pope, as well as presidents, prime ministers, and school principals, choose like-minded advisors. Francis’ critics don’t seem to care that John Paul II and Benedict XVI did exactly the same thing. Ta.”
Here is the complete list of 21 new cardinals:
Mr. Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasorio lives in Lima, Peru. Vicente Bocaric Iglich, Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Primate of Argentina); Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Fernando Natalio Chomari Gharib, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Chile. Tarshisio Isao Kikuchi, Tokyo, Japan. Pablo Virgilio Shonco David lives in Caloocan, Philippines. Ladislav Nemet from Belgrade. Serbia; Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre, Brazil; Ignace Bessi Dogbo lives in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers, Algeria. Dominic Joseph Matthew lives in Ispahan, Tehran, Iran. Roberto Lepore, from Turin, Italy. Baldassare Reina, Vicar Bishop of Rome and Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome. Francis Leo lives in Toronto, Canada. Rolandas Macricus, Co-Justice Archdeacon of the Pontifical Basilica of St. Mary Major. Mykola Bychok of the Ukrainian Diocese of St. Peter and St. Paul in Melbourne, Australia. Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, former Dominican friar. Mr. Fabio Baggio, Under-Secretary of the Migration and Refugee Division of the Diplomatic Service for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. George Jacob Kouvakad, Vatican Secretary of State staff, travel director. and Domenico Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, Italy. Angelo Acerbi, retired Apostolic Legate (Acerbi, 99, is no longer eligible to participate in the Papal Council).
