{UAH} Rome is set for this Saturday's very popular consistory !

The cardinals from all over the world are arriving in Rome in big numbers, in fact

185 of the world's 218 cardinals are expected to be around for the next four days

which will witness the exchange of ideas on family and how to have a more concerned

look at the issue which is now an acute problem for the Church to handle with relative ease.

Then Saturday ( 22 / 02 / 2014 ) in St Peter's Basilica Pope Francis will create the 19 new

cardinals he recently appointed. Huge delegations are powering in Rome to witness the occasion.

These new cardinals are special! The majority come from the Global Southern Hemisphere and have

been appointed from a calibre of special pastors noted for their humility towards the suffering and the

ordinary humble. They are real heroes in their countries of origin where news of their appointment moved

their entire nations and surrounding regions. Even the European prelates who were expected to be appointed

and were left out have praised the Pope for turning to the poor and humble chuirches which through thin and thick

have become forces of dynamism and energetic thrust. Pope Francis is also said to have avoided naming those clerics who appear to be supported by certain influences!

  At yesterday's weekly general audience in St Peter's Square strong delegations from Ivory Coast, Latin America

and Asia were seen present among the 100,000 pilgrims who turned up. Many other delegations are expected from Burkina Faso, Haiti, St Lucia Island, and the diaspora which is going to throw in thousands of pilgrims to cheer Cardinals Ouédraogo ( Burkina Faso ), Kutwa ( Ivory Coast ), Chilly Langlois ( Haiti ),  and indeed all the rest.

It's difficult to guess the number of buses, etc that will roll from France, Belgium, Italy, etc carrying pilgrims to Rome.

The Haitian cardinal will, as for himself, be accompanied, among the rest, by an official state delegation headed by the President himself - H.E. Mr Joseph Michel Martelly! Another high powered delegation is expected from Burkina Faso where the Prime Minister himself drove his car to reach Archbishop Ouédraogo to congratulate him on the appointment which the Archbishop first learnt from a telephone call by a lay Christian from Rome. The Archbishop was in his car driving to another town for a conference when the man rang. He couldn't get the news right from the Papal Nunciature because his mobile had been switched off when at a very long Mass.

Of course many top shots will also travel from Ivory Coast where Cardinal Kutwa had done an immense task in fully reconciling the nation. And he has been awarded for this and for his dynamism as a formidable pastor.

   Sunday ( 23 / 02 / 2014 ) the Pope will concelebrate Mass with the new cardinals. Everything will be televised on Mondovision. The great ceremony on Saturday starts at 11 am ( Rome Time ).

There is always something going on in Rome.Last week the Pope met French President François Hollande with whom he discussed a number of inportant international issues including peace in Africa. The two leaders had the same vision on social justice and the current world disorder. Hollande invited the Pope to France where a recent opinion poll showed how 85% of the total French population had full confidence in Pope Francis!.

On Friday  (14 / 02 / 2014) St VAlentine's Day the Pope invited and addressed more than 10,000 couples of young fiancés from all over the world. thousands of curious Romans and tourists joined them in St Peter's Square which was nearly milled by unexpected multitudes and vast crowds of admirers many of whom, including non believers, appreciated both the initiative and the Pope's very wonderful charismatic personality! 

On Sunday ( 16 / 02 / 2014 ) at the midday Angelus prayer the Pope took the opportunity to address the assembled 150,000 people on the dangers gossiping and unprogrammed conversation can bring to society. And how gossiping in general dirts someone's personality and kills him / her off! He was widely cheered when he noted that avoiding gossiping can lead a person to sainthood!

And in April is the canonization ceremony of the two great Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II. The Mayor of Rome recently in an audience with the Pope informed His Holiness that the City of Rome was very busy trying to make arrangements that would enable it welcome the expected 5 million pilgrims from all over the world and the whole of Italy and Poland that would converge to Rome for the occasion. Of course very many African lists have landed in and thousands of Africans will enrich the ceremonies by their colourful presence. Poor humble Africa always mingles very well with the Roman crowds and I'm sure all African delegations will be reserved a place in St Peter's Square which can comfortably accommodate half a million people.

Before and after these canonizations the Pope will regularly meet the famous G8 ( of the 8 cardinals he chose to draft proposals for reforms in the Curia, the Vatican Bank, etc..) This is said to be a very carefully handled problem.

And, of course, there will be a general bishops synod to introduce and present the proposals on family as proposed by each world diocese following a questionnaire sent to all bishops by the Vatican. Many returns show that African dioceses and even many other dioceses from the Global South have shown a conservative stand on the matter. And this would predict tough debate on the family question! The Pope has appointed Germany's somewhat progressive Cardinal Kasper to act as key moderator in the deliberations.

Pope Francis will always indeed be largely saluted for firmness and for trying to move forward every time!

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )