Before giving the red hat to 14 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica today, Pope Francis reminded them that “the only credible form of authority is born of sitting at the feet of others in order to serve Christ.”
It is, he said, “the authority that comes from never forgetting that Jesus, before bowing his head on the cross, did not hesitate to bow down and wash the feet of the disciples.”
By creating these cardinals in his fifth consistory, Francis, gave 11 of the 14 prelates from eleven countries a great honor in the church—the exclusive right of voting in the conclave to elect his successor. That honor was marked by the presence of thousands of faithful from the homelands of the new cardinals.
Being made cardinal is also perceived as a great honor in the eyes of the world as evidenced by the presence at the ceremony of the presidents of Bolivia and Madagascar, as well as government ministers or high ranking delegations from another nine countries—Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Portugal, Poland, Peru, Spain, Uganda, Zambia, together with Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
Pope Francis used strong words that can be read both as an admonition and guidance for the entire college of cardinals.
In his homily, however, Pope Francis sought to put all this “honor” in a Gospel perspective by telling the new cardinals that “the highest honor that we can receive, the greatest promotion that can be awarded us [is] to serve Christ in God’s faithful people.”
He reminded them that “the highest honor” is “to serve Christ in those who are hungry, neglected, imprisoned, sick, suffering, addicted to drugs, cast aside. In real people, each with his or her own life story and experiences, hopes and disappointments, hurts and wounds.”
Moreover, he told them, “none of us must feel superior to anyone. None of us should look down at others from above. The only time we can look at a person in this way is when we are helping them to stand up.”
Francis delivered his homily from a lectern in front of the high altar in St. Peter’s basilica, using strong words that can be read both as an admonition and guidance for the entire college of cardinals.
He began by reminding them that at “the turning point” in the life of Jesus (his passion and death) “the quest of honors, jealousy, envy, intrigue, accommodation and compromise” emerged in the heart of his disciples. He recalled that Jesus then told them forcefully that “whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” With these words, the pope said, “the Lord tries to refocus the eyes and hearts of his disciples, so that there will be no fruitless and self-referential discussions in the community.”
Then turning to the cardinals he asked, “What does it profit us to gain the whole world if we are corroded within? What does it profit us to gain the whole world if we are living in a stifling atmosphere of intrigues that dry up our hearts and impede our mission?” Lest anyone miss the point, Francis said that in this context, “we might think of all those palace intrigues that take place, even in curial offices.” He told them that Jesus call to serve others is “an encouragement and a challenge to his disciples to recoup their better part, lest their hearts be spoiled and imprisoned by a worldly mentality blind to what is really important.”
Francis has chosen 59 of the 125 cardinal electors that will chose his successor.
Pope Francis said, “Jesus teaches us that conversion, change of heart and church reform is and ever shall be in a missionary key, which demands an end to looking out for and protecting our own interests, in order to look out for and protect those of the Father.” He reminded the cardinals that “conversion from our sins and from selfishness will never be an end in itself, but is always a means of growing in fidelity and willingness to embrace the mission” so that “ at the moment of truth, especially when we see the distress of our brothers and sisters, we will be completely prepared to accompany and embrace them, one and all.”
The 11 new electors come from Italy (three), and one each from Poland, Portugal, Madagascar, Iraq, Pakistan, Japan, Peru and Spain. With these new creations, Francis has chosen 59 of the 125 cardinal electors that will chose his successor. Forty-six other electors were created by Benedict XVI and the remaining 20 by John Paul II.
When he announced the consistory, Francis placed the Iraqi-born Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon, Louis Raphael I Sako, 69, at the top of the list, to highlight the still difficult situation in that country since the U.S. led invasion and war of 2003 and especially the plight of the tiny Christian community there and throughout the Middle East.
As first on the list, the patriarch today had the task of thanking the pope on behalf of the new cardinals. He told him that he considered his own nomination as a sign of Francis’ special attention for the Oriental Churches and the “small flock” of Christians in the Middle East, Syria, Palestine, Pakistan and other countries, “who are going through a difficult period because of wars and sectarianism,” and who are also “giving martyrs” to the church. He said the red hat serves as “an encouragement in our sufferings,” something “gives us hope that the present storm will pass and that we will be able to live in harmony.”
During the ceremony, Pope Francis gave a red hat and ring to each of the new cardinals, and assigned each a titular church in Rome, before standing up to embrace each one. Those present broke into loud applause when each of the 14 was made cardinal, but the applause was particularly strong for the Iraqi Patriarch and Cardinal Joseph Coutts from Pakistan, a majority Muslim country where Christians are a mere 2.5 million people in a population of 209 million. Warm applause too greeted the sixth Japanese cardinal, Thomas Aquinas Manyo Maeda, 70, the archbishop of Osaka, Japan, who comes from a predominantly Buddhist country of 127 million people where Catholics total less than one million.
Francis gave the red hat to two Italian archbishops who are in charge of dioceses: Angelo De Donatis, 64, the new vicar-general of Rome; and Giuseppe Petrocchi, 69, archbishop of the Italian city of L’Aquila still suffering from the 2009 earthquakes. Their many supporters in the basilica made their joy known when the pope made them cardinals
Francis gave the red hat to two Jesuits at this consistory. He gave one to the Peruvian Jesuit, Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno, 69, archbishop of Huancayo, who has been a prophetic leader in the effort to protect the environment in the Amazon region, and has received death threats for his work.
He also created a cardinal-elector from Africa: Desiré Tsarahazana, 63, the archbishop of Toamasina in Madagascar, an island in the western Indian Ocean. The many African nuns and priests present in the basilica cheered when Francis gave him the red hat.
There was applause too when he gave the red hat to the Portugual’s, Antonio dos Santos Marto, 71, bishop of the diocese of Leirà-Fatima.
From the beginning, Francis set out to reduce the number of cardinals in the Roman Curia. He has largely kept to this goal but today he gave red hats to three of its members: Luis Ladaria Ferrer, 74, the Spanish Jesuit, prefect of the Congregation for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Giovanni Angelo Becciu, 69, an Italian Holy See diplomat who has held the third-ranking position in the Secretariat of State since 2011; and Konrad Krajewski, 54 , from Poland, the papal almoner, to emphasize that care for the poor is a top priority of his pontificate.
As in past consistories, Francis gave red hats to three churchmen over the age of 80: Sergio Obeso Rivera, emeritus archbishop of Xalapa (Mexico), Toribio Ticona Porco, the emeritus bishop of Corocoro (Bolivia) who was once a shoeshine boy and a miner, and Aquilino Bocos Merino, a Spanish member of the Claretian order who has been a spiritual guide to very many people.
At the end of the ceremony, the new cardinals went to visit Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and prayed with him.
Growing in humble service is a mission second to none. Wishing the chosen ones strength and stamina.