His Holiness Pope Francis will create 14 new cardinal from 11 countries during the Ordinary Public Consistory in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica Thursday evening, June 28. The Pontiff first announced the names of the new cardinals on Sunday, May 20, following his midday “Regina Coeli” prayer and blessing in St. Peter’s Square.
The cardinals-designate are from Bolivia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Peru, Madagascar, Mexico and Spain. The Pontiff explained that the places from where the new cardinals come “expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to announce the merciful love of God to all men and women on earth”. He said their nominations “manifest the unbreakable bond between the See of Peter and the local Churches throughout the world”.
The consistory is not a Holy Mass but an assembly of cardinals with or without the pope to deal with important Church matters, such as fixing the dates of beatification and canonization and the creation of new cardinals such as of June 28. Thursday’s Consistory is a ceremony during which His Holiness Pope Francis will create the new cardinals and induct them as members of the worldwide body of cardinals known as the College of Cardinals.
