OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:40 PM PT – Saturday, October 5, 2019
Pope Francis elected 13 new cardinals, who were appointed Saturday at
a special Vatican ceremony. He chose from a range of candidates who
share his vision on social justice, the rights of immigrants and
dialogue with Islam.Pope Francis has now elected over half of the Catholic Church’s 108 cardinals. 10 of the 13 are eligible to vote in the next papal conclave, increasing the possibility that the next pope will follow in his spiritual footsteps.
The churchmen came from all over the world, including countries such as Angola, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia and Morocco. Vatican News said these international appointees represent “the Church’s missionary outreach and universal character.”
The Pontiff gave the cardinals their red barretas in Saint Peter’s Basilica.
The head of the Vatican ended the ceremony by reiterating the importance of being compassionate and loyal.
“So many disloyal actions on the part of ecclesiastics are born of the lack of a sense of having been shown compassion, and by the habit of averting one’s gaze — the habit of indifference,” he said.
After the ceremony, the Pope and his new cardinals made a pilgrimage across the Vatican gardens to obtain blessings from his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
