Pope Francis on Sunday named 13 new cardinals, including two Latin Americans and the Archbishop of Washington DC, Wilton Gregory, who would be the first black American prelate to obtain the title.
Wilton, 73, was named archbishop of the American capital last year
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The prelate has been president of the United States Conference of Bishops three times.
Francis made the surprise announcement from the window of his study to the faithful below in St. Peter's Square.
The pontiff said ecclesiastics would be elevated to the rank of cardinal in a ceremony on November 28.
[Pope Francis advocates for civil union laws to recognize gay couples]
Four of the new cardinals are over 80 years old and therefore not participants in a future conclave
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Among the appointments are the archbishop of Santiago de Chile, the Spanish Celestino Aós, and the bishop emeritus of San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, the Mexican Felipe Arizmedi Esquivel.
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Among the nine who will be appointed cardinals and those under 80 years of age are the two new members of the Curia: the prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, the Italian Archbishop Marcello Semeraro and the new General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, the Maltese Mario Grech.
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The archbishop of Kigali, Rwanda, Antoine Kambnada, will also be created cardinals;
the Archbishop of Capiz, Philippines, José Fuerte Advinculca;
the Archbishop of Brunei, Cornelius Sim;
the archbishop of Siena, Italy, Paolo Giudice and the custodian of the convent of Assisi, Mauro Gambetti.
Among those over 80 years of age, the pope awarded the purple, in addition to the bishop emeritus of San Cristobal de las Casas, to the former Vatican nuncio and observer at the United Nations, Silvano Tomasi;
the preacher of the Pontifical Household, Raniero Cantalamessa and the former director of Caritas in Rome, Enrico Feroci.
"Let us pray for the new cardinals so that by confirming their adoration of Christ, they will help me in my ministry as bishop of Rome for the good of all the holy people of God," Francis said when announcing those who will be new cardinals after today's prayer. of the Angelus.
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At the moment, the College of Cardinals is made up of 217 cardinals, of whom 120 are electors, 64 already elected by Francisco, and 97 non-electors, to whom the next ones will be added on November 28.
LGBTQ Rights
Pope Francis broke official Vatican doctrine last Wednesday by recognizing that people from the LGBTQ community have a "right to a family" and not to have "the impossible life" because of their sexual orientation.
"What we have to do is a civil union law. They have the right to be covered legally," says the pope in a documentary, "I defended that."
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"Gay people have the right to be in the family, they are children of God, they have the right to a family," he declared.
It was the first time that the leader of the Catholic Church defended the civil recognition of same-sex couples
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However, civil union laws do not have the same legal validity as marriage, which is why the Vatican's consideration is maintained that LGTBQ people should not access the same rights as straight people in that sense.
With information from AP and EFE.
