Spanish Miguel Ángel Ayuso was in charge of opening the sixth consistory for the creation of new cardinals. He is the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and spoke to the pope on the behalf of the future cardinals.
He reflected on the fact that many elected cardinals have this similarity.
Many of us belong to religious orders that distinguish themselves by their missionary character.
The pope reflected on this in his homily when he explained the key to the life of a missionary, cardinal or of any Christian: remember that no one is superior to one another. Everyone has needed God's compassion.
Pope Francis gave the new cardinals this advice.
POPE FRANCIS
Unless I feel that I am the object of God’s compassion, I cannot understand his love. This is not a reality that can be explained. Either I feel it or I don’t. If I don’t feel it, how can I share it, bear witness to it, bestow it on others?
The pope told them that lacking this thought process is the root of many betrayals within the Church.
POPE FRANCIS
So many disloyal actions on the part of ecclesiastics are born of the lack of a sense of having been shown compassion, and by the habit of averting one’s gaze, the habit of indifference.
Continuing, Pope Francis called the 13 one by one. Three of them are over the age of 80 and would not be able to vote in a possible conclave.
This was the most emotional moment of the ceremony. The 13 elected knelt as bishops and rose as cardinals. After greeting the rest of the cardinals, as is customary in this pontificate, they went to greet the pope emeritus, Benedict XVI.
