Pope Francis on Saturday installed 21 new cardinals, many of whom are key figures in his agenda of change: a Dominican preacher who acted as the spiritual father for Francis' recent gathering of bishops, a Neapolitan "street priest" like himself, and a Peruvian bishop who has strongly backed his crackdown on abuse. Francis' 10th consistory to create new princes of the church is also the biggest infusion of voting-age cardinals in his 11-year pontificate, further cementing his imprint on the group of men who will one day elect his successor, the AP reports. With Saturday's additions, Francis will have created 110 of the 140 cardinals under 80, thus eligible to vote in a conclave.
Francis appeared at the ceremony in the St. Peter's Basilica with a significant bruise on his chin but presided without apparent problems. A Vatican spokesman said later Saturday that the bruise was caused by a contusion Friday morning, when Francis hit his nightstand with his chin. The pontiff, who turns 88 later this month, appeared slightly fatigued on Saturday but carried on as normal. This consistory is notable too because the 21 men being elevated aren't the same ones Francis named Oct. 6 when he announced an unusual December consistory. One original pick, Indonesian Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur, the bishop of Bogor, asked not to be made a cardinal "because of his desire to grow more in his life as a priest," the Vatican said. Francis substituted the Naples archbishop, Domenico Battaglia, known for his pastoral work in the slums of Naples.
Perhaps the most familiar new cardinal to those following Francis' agenda is the Dominican Timothy Radcliff, the spiritual father of the just-concluded synod, or gathering of bishops. The yearslong process was intended to make the church more inclusive and responsive to the needs of rank-and-file Catholics, especially women, per the AP. A British theologian, Radcliffe often provided clarifying, if not humorous, interventions during the weekslong debate and retreats. At one point he set off a mini-firestorm by suggesting that external financial pressures influenced African bishops to reject Francis' permission to allow blessings for gay couples. He later said he just meant that the African Catholic Church is under pressure from other well-financed faiths.
(More
Pope Francis stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
