Archbishop László Német of Belgrade is among them.
Pope Francis emphasized the importance of the service and unity of the church, who elevated 21 church leaders to the rank of cardinals in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday.
In his address to the new members of the cardinal body, Pope Francis emphasized that their service should be characterized by "competition on the streets, the joy of meeting others, caring for the more vulnerable".
Be the builders of community and unity - the head of the church called on the 21 new cardinals. He believed that cardinals representing different parts and cultures of the world represent the universality of the Church. He urged them not to succumb to the temptation of competition which destroys unity.
"Following the path of Christ, be different: follow the path of light in a society that is obsessed with appearances and does nothing but look for the first places," said Pope Francis.
During the ceremony held in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope placed the red cardinal's hat on each of the cardinals' heads, handed them their cardinal's ring, and designated their titular church.
Among the 21 cardinals, five are Asian, five are Latin American, six represent the European Church, two are African, and they include a Canadian and a cardinal-archbishop serving in Oceania. Among them is Archbishop László Német of Belgrade.
With the new cardinals, the total number of members of the body increased to 253. 140 of them are so-called papal-electing cardinals, that is, they are under 80 years of age. However, fourteen of them will turn 80 in the coming weeks, which will disqualify them from the election of the Pope at a possible conclave. In the current body of cardinals, there are six cardinals who were still appointed by II. They were appointed by János Pál, that is, they were created before 2005. Another 24 cardinals XVI. Benedict inaugurated, the others were all appointed by Pope Francis.
At the cardinal consecration ceremony, Pope Francis appeared with a scarred face: a large bruise was visible on his jaw.
On Sunday, the Pope and the body of cardinals will present a concelebration Mass, and in the afternoon, on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis will visit the statue of the Virgin Mary in the square adjacent to the Spanish Steps in Rome.
MTI
Cover image: Pope Francis elevated 21 church leaders to the rank of cardinals
Source: Facebook/Vatican News
