VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis elevated 20 more churchmen to the rank of cardinal on Saturday, formally expanding those who now have the right to vote for his successor should he die or resign; the latter is a step he has said he would consider if the need arises.
Of the ecclesiastics named new cardinals at the consistory ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica, 16 are under the age of 80 and can therefore participate in a conclave: the closeddoor, ritualistic assembly of cardinals who voted on paper to choose a new one. pontiff
Francis, 85, has now appointed 83 of the 132 cardinals who are currently young enough to join a conclave. The others were appointed by the previous two popes, Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI, whose unexpected retirement in 2013 paved the way for Francis to be elected.
With the eight batches of cardinals that Francis has named, the prospects are improving that whoever becomes the next pontiff will share his vision for the future of the church.
Francis reminded the cardinals of his mission, which he said includes “an openness to all peoples, to the horizons of the world, to the still unknown peripheries.”
Underscoring Francis’ attention to the fringes of society, the new cardinals include Archbishop Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, India. The 60yearold prelate is the first member of the Dalit community, considered the lowest rung of India’s caste system, to become a cardinal.
One by one, the newest cardinals, whose red cassocks and headdresses symbolize the blood they must be ready to shed if necessary in their mission, knelt before Francis, who placed the prestigious cap, as the threepointed hat is known.
That intimate moment was the chance to exchange a few words with Francis, who smiled to reassure them. At times, the seated Francis, himself affected by mobility problems, would lend his own arms to help kneeling cardinals to their feet.
In choosing San Diego Bishop Robert Walter McElroy, Francis overlooked American churchmen who lead traditionally more prestigious dioceses, including San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.
McElroy has been in a minority of US bishops who have opposed a campaign to deny communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. Cordileone has said he would not long allow US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive communion for her advocacy of abortion rights.
Although he is strongly against abortion as a grave sin, Francis has also denounced what he calls the weaponization of Communion.
McElroy last year was also among a small group of US bishops who signed a statement denouncing school bullying that often targets LGBTQ youth.
Francis has tried to make gay Catholics feel welcome in the church, whose teaching holds that samesex sex is a sin.
Among the newest cardinals is Bishop Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa, Ghana, who has spoken out against LGBTQ rights. The African prelate felt ill when he arrived in Rome on Friday and was hospitalized for a heart problem, the pope told the other cardinals, asking them to pray “for this brother who should have been here.”
Asked by The Associated Press about such contrasting views among church leaders, McElroy responded that “there are always cultural differences within the life of the church as there are within the human family. And different cultures approach these questions in different ways.”
McElroy added: “My view is that we have an obligation in the church to make LGBT people feel equally welcome in the life of the church, as everyone else.”
With the election of future pontiffs a key role for cardinals, McElroy, 68, was asked what he thought of Francis saying the resignation of popes is a valid option.
“In principle, I think it’s a good idea at a particular moment when they feel they can no longer carry the burdens of this office, but I think this pope is far from that moment,” the American prelate said. “I think he sees himself so far from that moment. What he has is a mobility issue, but it hasn’t affected his mind. I can tell you he’s still on top of things.”
Archbishop Ulrich Steiner of Manaus, Brazil, became the first cardinal of the Amazon, the vast environmentally vulnerable region of South America on the Argentineborn pontiff’s home continent. Speaking to the AP, Steiner expressed concern about the increase in violence in the Amazon.
“But this violence was not born there, it came from outside,” Steiner, 71, said. “It’s always violence related to money. Concessions, deforestation, also with mines, also with fishing”.
At 48, the youngest member among the cardinals is an Italian missionary in Mongolia, where there are about 1,300 Catholics. Francis “knows how important it is to support these small communities,” said the new cardinal, Giorgio Marengo.
Originally, the pope had chosen 21 new cardinals. But retired Belgian bishop Luc Van Looy declined the honor, citing his own inadequate handling of cases of sexually abusive priests while leading the diocese of Ghent between 2004 and 2020.
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Sabrina Sergi and Fanuel Morelli contributed to this report.