{UAH} Pope celebrates Mass with new cardinals

It was in a packed St Peter's Basilica today morning that Pope Francis

had the solemn occasion to celebrate Mass with the cardinals he created yesterday

in a very moving ceremony that brought to Rome thousands of pilgrims from all over

the world. Yesterday's creation brought to full equibrium in numbers the relative strength

between the North and the Global South. For the first time in Church history the South has

the same number of cardinal electors as the North, 61 prelates each. And the trend will continue

to favour the South where two-thirds of the entire world Catholic population live. Pope Francis looks

determined on naming  very many clerics from Africa, Asia, and Latin America in order to bring in that

profound spirituality and humility that has enabled the poverty-stricken South to turn their attention more to God.

than to ordinary materialism.

At this morning's Mass he cautioned the new cardinals against being entenched into things that lead  to

intrigues and plots, gossiping and idle chatter, favouritism, preference, circles and cliques, etc...

The immense crowds inside the Basilica listened very carefully to the Pope's very brave words.

The Haîtian president and wife, plus all accompanying delegations for the new cardinals, Italian government

officials, diplomats, and about 150 cardinals and hundreds of bishops were part of the faithful who included one

very great personality who came specially for the creation of the new cardinals, that was the Head of the Knights

of the Order of Malta, seen in many European countries as a real head of state! And TV coverage on several

occasions brought in the limelight three very great African cardinals present at the ceremony: DRC's very influential Cardinal Laurent Pasinya Monsengwo ( one of the Pope's most popular confidants ), retired Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, and Guinean Cardinal Sarah who heads a ministry at the Vatican.

After Mass the Pope went to the window of the pontifical appartments overlooking St Peter's Square and recited the Angelus prayer before he addressed and blessed an estimated 200,000 pilgrims who included very many local and foreign delegations . In his speech he appealed to the vast crowds to applaud the new cardinals and to greet all delegations present. He then advised the new cardinals to be servants of the Church and not bosses!

Many of these delegations would have the opportunity to meet the Pope before they travel back home. Romans will always remember the very great impact pilgrims from Africa, the Caribbeans  and Haîti have brought to Rome!!Many people have had the opportunity to see a cardinal accompanied by both the great and the small.

Many African delegations had in their midst high profile personalities  and the lowry who included simple ordinary Christians, catechists, widows, elderly relatives to a cardinal, and they had too the notable clan heads and tribal elders in addition to religious leaders of practically all denominations! All standing for a cardinal!!!

With the Roman chapter closed, French attention was turned to a very rich TV debate on the topic of Pope Francis's one year of pontificate.... It was a second series of a round-table argument invoving three great cardinals: Paris's André Vingt Trois, the cardinal Patriach of Antioch, and Nigeria's Cardinal John Olurunfemi Onaiyekan. They all spoke very good French. And among the points raised was the fact that Pope Francis was

a very great Pope whose first year in office is crowned with tremendous success thanks to his method that wins everyone and everywhere!  The three cardinals agreed that Pope Francis was really appointed by the Holy Spirit

because it was only inside the conclave that his name just simply came to the mind of all cardinals!!!!

The Nigerian cardinal praised the Pope for having given hope and confidence to the idea if interreligious dialogue in Nigeria and showed how he is very strongly respected in Nigeria!

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Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )