“With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church,” Gregory said in a statement issued by the archdiocese.

The new cardinals will bring the total number of cardinal electors to 128, of whom 73 will have been appointed by Pope Francis.

Many are wondering after the lack of response by the Vatican to questions raised about what Pope Francis actually said about civil unions.

A Mexican television broadcaster confirmed Thursday that Pope Francis’ bombshell comments endorsing same-sex civil unions were made during a May 2019 interview that was never broadcast in its entirety.

The Vatican and the Chinese government will extend an agreement signed in 2018 regarding the appointment of bishops.

The number of priests and ordained leaders has dropped significantly, especially in Europe and America, according to the report issued on Friday by the Vatican.