Capiz Archbishop Jose Advincula, together with 13 other new cardinals, were installed over the weekend by Pope Francis in a ceremony called “consistory” held at the Vatican City.
Advincula was at his residence in Roxas City when he watched the consistory, along with other priests, according to Archdiocese spokesman Fr. Emil Arbatin. He was unable to attend because of existing travel restrictions.
Among the newly installed cardinals was 72-year-old Archbishop of Washington, D.C., Wilton Gregory, the first African-American to hold the position.
Gregory made headlines earlier this year when he decried outgoing US President Donald Trump’s acts when he visited a Catholic shrine in Washington. During his visit, police and soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear the area of a crowd of protesters so he can be photographed in front of a historic Washington church while holding a Bible.
With the installation of the new cardinals, it expands the pontiff’s impact on the group that will one day elect his successor. Nine of the 13 are under 80 years old and thus, under Church law, are allowed to enter a secret conclave that will elect among themselves a successor to Pope Francis in case of his death or resignation.
During the ceremony, instead of the usual large crowds, only 10 guests were allowed to accompany each cardinal inside the St. Peter’s Basilica, further highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on such an important event.
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has already appointed more than half of the 128 cardinal electors, 18 of those coming from the developing world and in far-flung countries that has not had one yet. Among the new cardinals were from Brunei and Rwanda, part of the pope’s vision of a more inclusive and outward-looking Church.
Statistically, Europe still has the largest share of cardinal electors with 41 percent, down from 52 percent when Pope Francis became the first Latin-American Pope.
It is observed that with the presence of more non-European cardinals in the enclave, the chances of having another non-European as the pope’s successor will further increase.
(Photo credit: cbcpnews.net)