13 new Cardinals express the
“missionary vocation of the Church”
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| Pope Francis embraces a Cardianal at the last consistory, which took place in 2018 (AFP) |
Saturday afternoon’s Consistory brings together new
cardinals from places that express the Church’s missionary outreach and
universal character.
By Vatican News
The word “consistory” comes from the Latin “consistorium”,
meaning “a place of assembly” – because the Latin verb “consistere” means,
literally, “to stand together”.
Starting in the 11th Century, ecclesial
assemblies, or gatherings, became regular opportunities for the Pope to seek advice
from his most trusted counsellors, the Cardinals.
Symbols of the consistory
Today, the ceremony during which the Pope creates new
Cardinals is also called a Consistory. It includes the presentation of rings
and a red hat. The colour itself is a symbol of the blood the Cardinal should
be ready to shed, if called to “lay down his life for his sheep”. He is also
assigned a titular church in Rome, and his coat of arms may be displayed at the
entrance, alongside that of the reigning Pontiff.
A universal Church
When Pope Francis announced the 13 new cardinals, during the
Angelus of 1 September, he stressed how “their origins express the missionary
vocation of the Church, which continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to
all people on earth”.
Those origins are in North America, Central America, Africa,
Europe and Asia: from Indonesia, Morocco, and Cuba; to Guatemala, Angola, and
Luxembourg.
A missionary Church
Eight of the new Cardinals belong to religious orders, and
the other five have been diocesan priests, meaning they bring with them a
distinctive knowledge and experience of the Church around the world.
Jesuit Michael Czerny, for example, is Under-Secretary of
the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human
Development. Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, is former President of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and an expert in
Christian-Muslim relations.
College of Cardinals
Prior to Saturday's Consistory, the College of Cardinals
included 212 members, 118 of whom are electors. Of the new Cardinals, 10 are
under the age of 80, which means they are eligible to vote in the conclave that
will elect the next Pope.
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