Pope Francis appoints new cardinals reflecting rise of the global south

January 12, 2014
Weston Matthews

Today Pope Francis appointed 19 new cardinals. These appointments reflect a shift in the influence of the global south in the worldwide Roman Catholic Church. The National Catholic Reporter shares the details:

For his first crop of new cardinals, Pope Francis also seems to be using red hats to teach. In effect, the first pontiff from the developing world is offering a lesson in the realities of life in a global church.

The obvious take-away from the 19 new cardinals announced by Francis on Jan. 12 is that ten come from outside Europe, with only four Vatican officials (three Italians and one German), just two other new residential European cardinals, and only one from North America…

Today’s announcement thus represents not only an acknowledgement of the church in the developing world, but also, arguably, a healthy reminder to Catholics in traditional Western powerhouses such as the United States of where they stand in terms of the Catholic footprint in the early 21st century.

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Rod Gillis

January 13, 2014 10:16 am

@JC Fisher “fixed it”. Tell us how you really feel JC.You missed the news where the Pope is encouraging breast feeding in the Sistine Chapel.

Whether one agrees with it or not the sanctity of life is Roman Catholic teaching, so its hardly surprising that a person elevated to a Cardinal advocates the same.

I have laugh at those of us in the protestant world in our reactions to the new Pope, his opinions, appointments, and the like. When he says something we like, he is the very essence of Vatican II. When we are reminded that he supports the complete R.C. message, then our mood ring changes color. Perhaps we should call it the Rush Limbaugh effect.

Here is a link to a detailed story about the new Cardinal from North America. Spoiler alert–turns out he is Roman Catholic.

http://www.prairiemessenger.ca/03_02_2011/CCNLacroix_03_02_11.html

tgflux

January 13, 2014 2:25 am

He has been out in front of the right to life movement

“Campaign to take away women’s autonomy over their own bodies”: fixed it.

JC Fisher

Rod Gillis

January 12, 2014 10:57 pm

The one new Cardinal from North America is Archbishop Gérald Cyprien LaCroix (Quebec). I cribbed the following info about him from Canadian media sources and Wiki. He grew up largely in New Hampshire (Manchester and Goffstown), spent a decade in Latin America (Columbia). He has been out in front of the right to life movement, and of course is the R.C. Primate of Canada.

wpDiscuz

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