Pope Francis creates 21 new Cardinals

Rome, 7 December

On Saturday afternoon, 7 December, the Supreme Pontiff Francis held an Ordinary Public Consistory in Saint Peter’s Basilica for the creation of 21 new Cardinals, the imposition of the biretta, consignment of the ring and assignment of the Title or Deaconry.

The Holy Father arrived at 4 p.m. and made his way to the Altar of the Confession. He was greeted by the Dean of the Apostolic Nuncios, the first among the new Cardinals. After the oration and after the Proclamation of the Gospel (Mark 10:32-45), the Pope delivered his Allocution. He then read the formula for the creation of Cardinals, proclaiming their names:

— Angelo Acerbi, titular Archbishop of Zella;

—  Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, Archbishop of Lima, Peru;

—  Vicente Bokalic Iglic, cm, Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Argentina;

—  Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, ofm, Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador;

—  Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Chile;

—  Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, svd, Archbishop of Tōkyō, Japan;

—  Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines;

—  Ladislav Nemet, svd, Archbishop of Beograd, Serbia;

—  Jaime Spengler, ofm, Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil;

—  Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast;

—  Jean-Paul  Vesco, op, Archbishop of Algiers,  Algeria;

—  Dominique Joseph Mathieu, ofm conv., Archbishop of Teheran-Ispahan, Iran;

—  Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin and Bishop of Susa, Italy;

—  Baldassare Reina, titular Archbishop of Aquae in Mauretania; Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome; Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint John Lateran;

—  Frank Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, Canada;

—  Rolandas Makrickas, titular Archbishop of Tolentino, Co-adjutor Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major;

—  Mykola Bychok, cssr., Bishop of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne for Ukrainians, Australia;

—  Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, op, Theologian;

—  Fabio Baggio, cs, titular Archbishop-elect of Urusi; Under-secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development;

—  George Jacob Koovakad, titular Archbishop of Nisibi for Chaldeans; Organizer of Papal Journeys;

—  Domenico Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, Italy.

The Rite continued with the profession of faith by the new Cardinals before the People of God and the oath of fidelity and obedience to Pope Francis and his successors. According to the order of their creation, the new Cardinals knelt before the Holy Father, who placed the zucchetto and the cardinal’s biretta on their heads, handed them the cardinal’s ring and assigned to each a Church of Rome as a sign of their participation in the Pope’s pastoral care of the city. He also presented them with the Bull of creation of Cardinals and the assignment of the Title or Deaconry. He then exchanged the embrace of peace with each of them.

The ceremony concluded with the Apostolic Blessing imparted by the Holy Father to those present and the singing of the Marian antiphon Salve Regina.