domingo, 25 de noviembre de 2012

Six new cardinals: a gift for the Catholic Church

Yesterday, 24 November 2012, on the eve of the solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, Benedict XVI made a precious gift to all the faithful of the Catholic Church, creating six new Cardinals from the United States, Lebanon, India, Nigeria, Colombia and the Philippines. This was the second consistory he had on this year, following the one on February 18, in which he created twenty-two new Cardinals.
In this consistory, Europe wasn´t represented. The six new Cardinals came from America, Asia and Africa. Benedict XVI announced he wanted this Consistory to be an epilogue to the one in February, thus expressing the universality of the Church. St Peter´s Square was yesterday full of autoctonous and foreign pilgrims who wanted to express their own joy.
The new Cardinal´s names were as follows:
1. James Michael Harvey, Prefect Emeritus of the Papal Household, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls
2. Béchara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites
3. Baselios Cleemis Totthunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankarese
4. John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja
5. Jesús Rubén Salazar Gómez, Archbishop of Bogotá
6. Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Archbishop of Manila
The Pope said in his homily: "In this Consistory, I want to highlight in particular the fact that the Church is the Church of all peoples, and so she speaks in the various cultures of the different continents. She is the Church of Pentecost: amid the polyphony of the various voices, she raises a single harmonious song to the living God"
The new cardinals received, apart from the gold ring and the red biretta, the protection of a Roman church, that symbolizes the communion of the College of Cardinals with the Pope
1. Cardinal James Michael Harvey: Cardinal-Deacon of S. Pio V a Villa Carpegna
2. Cardinal Béchara Boutros Rai: Cardinal Patriarch.
3. Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Totthunkal: Cardinal-Priest of S. Gregorio VII
4. Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan: Cardinal Priest of S. Saturnino
5. Cardinal Jesús Rubén Salazar Gómez: Cardinal-Priest of S. Geraldo Maiella
6. Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle: Cardinal-Priest of S. Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle
I express my cordial congratulations to the new members of the College of Cardinals and expect they can help the Holy Father in his task.

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