Vatican City • During a ceremony welcoming new cardinals into the Catholic Church, Pope Francis spoke of the danger that occurs “when a man of the church becomes an official,” calling them to more “compassion” in a time when the Vatican faces financial scandals and internal divisions.
“So many disloyal actions on the part of ecclesiastics are born of the lack of a sense of having been shown compassion,” he said, “and by the habit of averting one’s gaze — the habit of indifference,”
Francis created 13 new cardinals at his sixth consistory on Saturday, 10 of whom are under 80 years old and therefore eligible to vote at the next conclave for his successor.