Pope Francis creates 19 cardinals, says the Church needs their courage, prayer, compassion
February 24, 2014
At a ceremony attended by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis created 19 new cardinals.
The ceremony took place in St. Peter’s Basilica on February 22, the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle.
After reminding the cardinals that the journey with Jesus is a journey to the cross, Pope Francis preached that “whenever a worldly mentality predominates, the result is rivalry, jealousy, factions.”
“I will tell you what the Church needs: she needs you, your cooperation, and even more your communion, with me and among yourselves,” the Pope continued. “The Church needs your courage, to proclaim the Gospel at all times, both in season and out of season, and to bear witness to the truth. The Church needs your prayer for the progress of Christ’s flock, that prayer-- let us not forget this!-- which, along with the proclamation of the Word, is the primary task of the bishop.”
Pope Francis added:
The Church needs your compassion, especially at this time of pain and suffering for so many countries throughout the world. Let us together express our spiritual closeness to the ecclesial communities and to all Christians suffering from discrimination and persecution. We must fight every form of discrimination! The Church needs our prayer for them, that they may be firm in faith and capable of responding to evil with good. And this prayer of ours extends to every man and women suffering injustice on account of their religious convictions.
The Church needs us also to be peacemakers, building peace by our words, our hopes and our prayers. Building peace! Being peacemakers! Let us therefore invoke peace and reconciliation for those peoples presently experiencing violence, exclusion and war.
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Further information:
- Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals (Holy See Press Office)
- The Pope To New Cardinals: The Church Needs Us To Build Peace With Our Works (VIS)
- Titular And Diaconate Churches Of The New Cardinals (VIS)
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