Pope celebrates Mass with new cardinals, prays 'Angelus'
(February 20, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday told 22 new cardinals from around
the world to base their actions and decisions on the bedrock of their faith as they
exercise greater responsibility and power. The 84-year old Pontiff celebrated a solemn
Mass in St Peter's Basilica with the new “Princes of the Church”, a day after he made
them cardinals at a consistory in the same basilica. Two of them are Asians: Indian
Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of the eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
and Chinese Cardinal John Hong Ton, the bishop of Hong Kong. Known as the "princes
of the Church", cardinals are the pope's closest aides in the Vatican and around the
world. Most of them lead major archdioceses and run Vatican departments that help
the Pope decide Church policy and doctrine that can affect the lives of Catholics
worldwide. In his homily Pope Benedict said their new positions was to invest them
with new and more important ecclesial responsibilities and finally to ask of them
an additional readiness to be of service to Christ and to the entire Christian community.
However the Pontiff said their main task was to “bear witness to the joy of Christ's
love.” “A selfish faith would be an unreal faith.” “Everything in the church rests
upon faith: the sacraments, the liturgy, evangelization, charity,” as well as “the
law and the church’s authority,” he said. “The Church does not exist for her own
sake, she is not the point of arrival, but she has to point upwards, beyond herself,
to the realms above" the Pope added. The new cardinals created on Feb. 18 are
from India, Hong Kong, the United States, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Canada,
the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium and Malta. In all there are
213 cardinals worldwide currently, 125 of whom are under the age of 80, and hence
are eligible to vote in an eventual conclave for the election of a new Pope. Eighty-eight
cardinals are above the age of 80 and hence are not eligible to vote in a conclave.
The current members of the College of Cardinals come from 71 nations and continent-wise
119 are from Europe, 21 from North America, 32 from Latin America, 17 from Africa,
20 from Asia and 4 from Oceania. At the end of Sunday morning Mass with the 22
new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict went up to the window of his
studio overlooking St. Peter's Square to recite the midday ‘Angelus’ prayer and greet
pilgrims and tourists. He urged the faithful to pray for the new cardinals. “I invite
all of you to unite your prayers for these venerable Brothers, who are now ever more
committed to work with me in guiding the Universal Church and give witness to the
Gospel even to the point of sacrificing their life,” the Pope said, explaining that
the red colour of their dress is the symbol of blood and love. As members of the
College of Cardinals they closely help the Pope in his ministry of communion and evangelization.
The Holy Father prayed that the Virgin Mary may help him and his collaborators “to
work tirelessly for the unity of the people of God and to announce to all the peoples
the message of salvation, carrying out humbly and courageously the service of truth
in charity.''