Cardinal Pell died of a heart attack Jan. 10 at a Rome hospital after undergoing hip surgery. He was 81. His burial was scheduled for Feb. 2 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where he had served as archbishop before Pope Francis chose him as prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy.
In focus: Texas execution, war in Ukraine and Ethiopia, upcoming papal trip
In the spotlight: Pope’s visit to L’Aquila, new cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI, Ukraine
In a ceremony to create 20 new cardinals, Pope Francis encouraged the College of Cardinals to have the same spiritual zeal for all people, whether they are in positions of power or ordinary Christians.
Today there are more than 90 countries represented in the entire college and 71 countries among the electors. That’s a notable increase from 2005, when all 117 eligible cardinal electors came from 53 countries.
Pope Francis announced he will create 21 new cardinals Aug. 27, including 68-year-old Bishop Robert W. McElroy of San Diego, California.
In his homily, Pope Francis said the two key phrases for the Advent season were God’s closeness and people’s vigilance against indifference and mediocrity.
One by one 11 senior churchmen, including two U.S. citizens — Cardinals Wilton D. Gregory of Washington and Silvano M. Tomasi, a former Vatican diplomat — knelt before Pope Francis to receive their red hats, a cardinal’s ring and a scroll formally declaring their new status and assigning them a “titular” church in Rome.
