Pope Francis has appointed 15 new cardinals from countries around the world.
Ethiopia, Myanmar, Tonga have all been given new cardinals by the Holy Father with the new intake coming from 14 countries on every continent.
Msgr. John Atcherley Dew, Archbishop of Wellington, will take up his place with the others on February 14 at a Consistory in the Vatican.
The Holy See says the new appointments shows the “inseparable bond between the Church of Rome and the particular Churches present in the world.”
The new cardinals are:
Mons. Dominique Mamberti , Titular Archbishop of Sagona, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
Mons. Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente , Patriarch of Lisbon (Portugal).
Mons. Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, CM, Archbishop of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
Msgr. John Atcherley Dew , Archbishop of Wellington (New Zealand).
Mons. Edoardo Menichelli , Archbishop of Ancona-Osimo (Italy).
Mons. Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon , Archbishop of Hanoi (Vietnam).
Msgr. Alberto Suárez Inda , Archbishop of Morelia (Mexico).
Mons. Charles Maung Bo, SDB, Archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar).
Msgr. Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij , Archbishop of Bangkok (Thailand).
Mons. Francesco Montenegro , Archbishop of Agrigento (Italy).
Mons. Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, SDB, Archbishop of Montevideo (Uruguay).
Mons. Ricardo Blázquez Pérez , Archbishop of Valladolid (Spain).
Mons. José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan , OAR, Bishop David (Panama).
Mons. Arlindo Gomes Furtado , Bishop of Santiago de Cabo Verde (Cape Verde Archipelago).
Mons. Soane Patita Paini Mafi , Bishop of Tonga (Tonga Islands).
Pope Francis said: “We pray for the new Cardinals so, renewing their love for Christ, are witnesses of his Gospel in the city of Rome and the world, and with their experience more intensely pastoral support me in my apostolic service.”
His choice could cause controversy because of his focus on the Church around the world and outside of the traditional Western countries.
Austen Ivereigh is the Director of Catholic Voices and author of a biography on Pope Frances.
He told Premier it was an expect announcement.
“It was quite clear from last year’s set of appointments that he intended to increase the representation in the College of Cardinals from those places in the world that have many Catholics but haven’t traditionally had many cardinals.
“He is correcting the current imbalance which is in favour too much of Europe and the developed countries.
“He has gone for the radical option of increasing the representation of the poor.
“There’s a particular emphasis on Asia, this is one of Pope Francis’ great tasks as Pope, to open up Asia.
“I think this is a very Francis set of appointments.”
Content by Premier Christian News