Introduction to the 13 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis

Monsignor Mario Grech – Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops

Bishop Mario Grech was born in Qala (Malta), in the Diocese of Gozo, on February 20, 1957. He completed primary school, secondary school in Gozo, followed by philosophical and theological studies at the Gozo seminary. After ordination to the priesthood on May 26, 1984, he completed higher studies in Rome and obtained a bachelor’s degree from the Lateran University and a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Angelicum. After returning to Malta, he ministered in the Gozo Cathedral, in the National Shrine of Tá-Pinu, and was pastor of the Kercem parish. Then he served as Judicial Vicar of the Diocese, member of the Metropolitan Court of Malta, professor of Canon Law at the Seminary. He was also a member of the College of Consultors, the Presbyteral Council and other diocesan commissions. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Gozo on November 26, 2011, where he remained until October 2, 2019, when Pope Francis appointed him Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, of which he became Secretary General on September 15 this year.

Monsignor Marcello Semeraro – Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

Bishop Semeraro was born in Lecce on December 22, 1947. He studied philosophy and theology at the Lateran University in Rome and received a doctorate in Sacred Theology. He was appointed Bishop of Oria in 1998, Bishop of Albano in 2004. He was appointed Secretary of the Cardinal Council in 2013. On October 15, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Archbishop Antoine Kambanda – Archbishop of Kigali (Rwanda)

Archbishop Kambanda was born in the Archdiocese of Kigali in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1990 by Blessed John Paul II on the occasion of his pastoral visit to Rwanda. All members of his family died during the 1994 war, except for a brother who lives in Italy. Since his ordination he has served in various academic, pastoral and administrative positions, including: director of Caritas in the Diocese of Kigali; director of the Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace; Professor of Moral Theology at the Major Seminary of Nyakibanda, Butare; and spiritual director of the Rutongo Major Seminary, Kigali. Since 2006 he has served as rector of the San Carlos de Nyakibanda Major Seminary in the Diocese of Butare. He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Kibungo on May 7, 2013 and was subsequently appointed Archbishop of Kilgali on November 19, 2018.

Archbishop Wilton Daniel Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, DC (USA)

The archbishop-elect was born on December 7, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, in the archdiocese of the same name, he was ordained a priest on May 9, 1973 for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He studied philosophy at Niles College and theology at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois, and has a doctorate in liturgy from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome (1980). After ordination, he held the following positions: Parish Vicar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glenview; student in Rome (1976-1979); professor of liturgy at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, member of the Archdiocesan Office of Liturgy and master of ceremonies to Cardinals Cody and Bernardin (1980-1983). He was named titular bishop of Oliva and auxiliary of Chicago on October 18, 1983, and was consecrated the following December 13. He was transferred to Belleville, Illinois, on December 29, 1993, and took office on February 10, 1994. He was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia, on December 9, 2004, and assumed office on January 17. 2005. On April 4, 2019, Pope Francis named him Archbishop of Washington, DC.

Archbishop Celestino Aós Braco, OFM Cap – Archbishop of Santiago, Chile

HE Mons. Celestino Aós Braco, OFM Cap., Was born in Artaiz, Archdiocese of Pamplona, ​​Spain, on April 6, 1945. He completed his philosophical studies in Zaragoza and his theological studies in Pamplona. He obtained a degree in psychology from the University of Barcelona, ​​Spain. He made his temporary religious vows as a Capuchin Franciscan on August 15, 1964 in Sangüesa and his perpetual profession on September 16, 1967 in Pamplona. He was ordained a priest in Pamplona on March 30, 1968. Later he performed the following functions as a priest: in Spain, professor in Lecaroz-Navarra, vicar in Tudela, professor in Pamplona and vicar in Zaragoza. In 1983 he was sent to Chile, where he was parochial vicar of the parish of Longavi, superior of the Community of Los Angeles, pastor of the parish of San Miguel in Viña del Mar, superior of the Recreation Community, episcopal vicar for consecrated life of the diocese of Valparaíso, and since 2008, parochial vicar of the parish of San Francisco de Asis in Los Angeles, Diocese of Santa María de Los Angeles. HE Mons. Aós Braco was also provincial treasurer of the Capuchins in Chile, promoter of justice at the ecclesiastical court of Valparaíso, judge of the court of the archdiocese of Concepción and treasurer of the Chilean canon law association. He was appointed bishop of Copiapó on July 25, 2014 and received episcopal ordination the following October 18. On March 23, 2019, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator vacant headquarters of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, of which he was later appointed Archbishop on December 27, 2019.

Bishop Cornelius Sim – Apostolic Vicar of Brunei

Bishop Sim was born in Seria, Brunei, on September 16, 1951. He studied engineering at the University of Dundee in Scotland, followed by a master’s degree in theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, USA. He was ordained a priest on the 26th. November 1989. After exercising the priestly ministry in several parishes, he was appointed Vicar General of Brunei in 1995 and later Apostolic Prefect on November 21, 1997. On October 20, 2004, Saint John Paul II elevated the territory to a Vicariate Apostolic and named him his first Apostolic Vicar.

Archbishop Augusto Paolo Lojudice – Archbishop of Siena-Colle Val d’Elsa-Montalcino

The bishop-elect was born in Rome in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He has a degree in theology, specializing in fundamental theology. He has held various pastoral positions, including parochial vicar and pastor, spiritual father of the Pontifical Major Roman Seminary, secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Migration of the Italian Episcopal Conference. He was appointed titular bishop of Alba Marittima in 2015. He has served as Secretary of the Migration Commission of the Italian Episcopal Conference. He became Archbishop of Siena on May 6, 2019.

Father Mauro Gambetti, OFM Conv. – Guardian of the Sacred Convent of Assisi

Father Gambetti was born in Castel San Pietro Terme (Bologna), in 1965 and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Bologna. He entered the Conventual Franciscans in 1992 and was ordained a priest in 2000. He exercised various ministries in Longiano, Emilia-Romagna. He became Provincial of the Conventual Franciscans of Emilia-Romagna in 2009 and later became Guardian of the Sacred Convent of San Francisco de Asís in 2013. He was elected President of the Intermediterranean Federation of Provincial Ministers of Conventual Friars Minor in September 2017 .

Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel – Bishop Emeritus of San Cristobal de las Casas

Bishop Esquivel was born on May 1, 1940 in Chiltepec (Mexico). He studied philosophical and theological studies at the Seminario de Toluca and the Pontifical University of Salamanca in Spain and received a degree in Dogmatic Theology. He was ordained a priest on August 25, 1963. On February 7, 1991, he was appointed bishop of Tapachula. During his time as Bishop of Tapachula, he also served as Secretary General of CELAM. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of San Cristóbal de Las Casas on March 31, 200 where he remained until his resignation on November 3, 2017.

Monsignor Silvano M. Tomasi, former Apostolic Nunzio and Permanent Observer Emeritus at the United Nations and specialized agencies in Geneva

Archbishop Tomasi was born on October 12, 1940 in Casoni di Mussolente (Italy). He studied both in Italy and the United States, where he was ordained a priest on May 31, 1965 as Father Scalabriniano. He received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Fordham University in New York. He also served as Provincial Superior of the Scalabrinians. From 1983 to 1987 he served as Director of the Office of Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees of the United States Conference of Bishops. From 1989 to 1996 he was Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. He became Apostolic Nuncio of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Observer of the African Union in 1996, Apostolic Nuncio in Giubuti in 1999 and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Specialized Organizations in Geneva in 2003, a position he held until February 13 2016. On April 9, 2016, Pope Francis appointed him a member of the former Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which is now the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development.

Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap. – Preacher of the Papal House

Father Raniero Cantalamessa is a Capuchin Franciscan Catholic priest. Born in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, on July 22, 1934, ordained a priest in 1958. Doctor of Divinity (Freiburg 1962) and Doctor of Classical Literature (Milan 1966). Former ordinary professor of the history of ancient Christianity and director of the Department of Religious Sciences at the Catholic University of Milan. Member of the International Theological Commission (1975-1981) and for 12 years a member of the Catholic Delegation for dialogue with Pentecostal Churches. In 1979 he resigned from his teaching position to become a full-time gospel preacher. In 1980 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II Preacher of the Papal House and confirmed in that position by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, and by Pope Francis in 2013. In this capacity, he preaches a weekly sermon in Advent and Lent in presence of the Pope, the cardinals, the bishops and the prelates of the Roman Curia and the general superiors of the religious orders. He is also frequently invited to speak in many countries of the world, both for Catholics and Protestants. He has received an honorary degree in Law from the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), in Communication Sciences from the University of Macerata (Italy) and in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio). In addition to his first scholarly books on patristic Christology, Easter in the Old Church, and other subjects, he has published numerous books on spirituality resulting from his preaching to the Papal House, translated into more than twenty foreign languages.

Mons. Enrico Feroci – Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love in Castel di Leva

Archbishop Feroci was born on August 27, 1940 in Pizzoli (Italy). He entered the Minor Seminary of Rome at the age of 11 and was ordained a priest in 1965. He became vice-rector of the Minor Seminary in 1968. He then carried out various ministries in the Diocese of Rome. He became a Chaplain to His Holiness, or Monsignor, in 1995. He also served as a Consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. In 2017, the Cardinal Vicar of Rome appointed Archbishop Feroci president of the public clerical association associated with the sanctuary of the Virgin of Divine Love and canon of the papal basilica of Saint John Lateran. In 2019 he was appointed pastor of the Parish of Our Lady of Divine Love in Castel di Leva.