Global Courant
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis further cemented his legacy on Saturday by elevating 21 prelates to the high rank of cardinals and significantly increasing the percentage of his chosen electors who have the right to vote for his successor.
In a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square known as a consistory, Francis “created” 21 new cardinals, the red-hatted “princes of the Church,” who are his closest advisers in the Vatican and around the world.
There are now 137 cardinal electors, about 73 percent of whom are chosen by Francis. This increases – but does not guarantee – the possibility that the next Pope will share his vision of a more progressive, inclusive Church.
Eighteen of the 21 are under the age of 80 and thus eligible under church law to participate in a secret conclave to elect the next pope after Francis’ death or resignation. They are known as cardinal electors. The three people over 80 received this honor because of their long service to the church.
The new cardinals come from the US, France, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania and Portugal.
Malaysia and South Sudan got their first cardinals, continuing Francis’ policy of giving greater recognition to places he has called the world’s “periphery,” often those ravaged by war or where Catholics are a minority .
KEY AGREEMENTS
An important appointment is that of Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan from Hong Kong. Chow is one of the most important ties to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican is trying to improve conditions for Catholics. The bishop made a historic visit to Beijing in April.
Another is that of Italian Bishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Francis’ apostolic administrator in the Holy Land, where the Vatican fears the historic presence of Christians is under threat.
“Diversity is necessary; it is indispensable,” Francis said in his homily at the service, during which each new cardinal received an office ring and the red three-leaved hat known as a “biretta.”
It was the pope’s ninth consistory since his election in 2013 and there has been continued change over the past decade, with the percentage of Asian and African cardinal electors growing while that of those from Europe has fallen.
Francis turns 87 in December and whether he convenes another church council next year or in 2025 depends on how long he lives. Although he uses a wheelchair and a cane and has undergone several surgeries, he has not slowed down overall and continues to maintain a busy schedule.
On October 4, he will open a major month-long meeting at the Vatican, known as a synod, that could chart the future of the Church.
In his homily on Saturday morning he called for “an increasingly symphonic and synodal Church”.
Using the metaphor of an orchestra, Francis appeared to refer to the division between progressives and conservatives in the 1.3 billion-member church, saying one section or instrument cannot play alone or drown out the other.
His job as a “conductor” was to listen and try to achieve a “creative fidelity”.
The synod from October 4 to 29 has been in preparation for two years, during which Catholics around the world were asked for their views on the future of the Church.
Advocates have welcomed the consultations as an opportunity to change the Church’s power dynamics and give a greater voice to lay Catholics, including women, and those on the margins of society.
Conservatives say the process has been a waste of time, could erode the hierarchical structure of the nearly 1.3 billion-member church and, in the long run, dilute traditional doctrine. A second final session will take place in 2024. REUTERS
