Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa was among 21 new cardinals from around the world who were anointed by Pope Francis during a ceremony held Saturday at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City. The ceremony was attended by an official Jordanian and Palestinian delegation along with ecclesiastical and popular delegations from the Holy Land. The College of Cardinals will one day elect a successor to the Catholic Church's pontiff, according to their voting age, in addition to assisting him in the affairs of the universal Church and the local churches in their numerous dioceses across the world. Attending the ceremony on the Jordanian side were Foreign Ministry Secretary-General for Political and Diplomatic Affairs, Ambassador Majid Qatarneh, Ambassador to Italy Qais Abu Dayyeh and a number of Lower House deputies. Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media, Father Rifat Bader, said in a statement after the ceremony that the Latin Patriarchate, which has spiritual authority in Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus, today celebrates Pizzaballa's anointment as a tribute to a person who served in the Holy Land for 34 years. It is also in honor of the efforts of the Catholic Church and Christians in general, in developing their communities through their spiritual and educational institutions, especially schools in the towns and cities of Jordan and Palestine, he added. Bader referred to Pizzaballa's remarks that he hoped to raise the status of Jerusalem after becoming cardinal in the global ecclesiastical arena and the call for peace for the Holy City and for just and comprehensive peace in Palestine.
Source: Jordan News Agency
