New Cardinals installed

Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech receiving the red biretta.

13 new Cardinals were installed yesterday afternoon during a Consistory at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Pope Francis warned the world's Catholic Cardinals against seeing their positions as ones of honor or distinction, stressing that the lives of the church's highest prelates should be those of self-sacrifice and service to others. Among them was Cardinal Mario Grech, the new Maltese Cardinal, Secretary of the Synod, and he opened the service with a speech in Italian, representing all the other Cardinals. Francis even told them not to see themselves in terms of the honorific traditionally given to cardinals, or as "eminences." "When you feel like that, you are 'off the path,' " the Pope warned the new Cardinals. "You will no longer be the pastor, close to the people." The November 28 ceremony, was unprecedented in the long history of the Catholic Church — held during an ongoing global pandemic and under strict precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Due to social distancing measures, only about 100 people were able to be physically present for the ceremony, and two of the new Cardinals took part from home. The sanctuary of the basilica was set up with television screens to allow Sim and Advincula, who could not be present, and other global Cardinals, to participate in the event via video link. Those present in the basilica all wore masks, except Pope Francis.