ROME: Two African Prelates Feature among 21 New Cardinals Named by Pope Francis

By CISA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2022 (CISA)-Two Bishops from Africa, Rt. Rev Richard Kuuia Baawobr of Wa, Ghana and Rt. Rev Peter Okpaleke of Ekwulobia, Nigeria, are among the 21 new cardinals that Pope Francis will give the red hat at a consistory on August 27.

Pope Francis also announced that from August 29 to 30, he will meet all the cardinals to reflect on the new Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium.

“On Saturday, 27 August, I will hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals. Let us pray that they will help me in my mission as Bishop of Rome for the good of all God’s people,” he said when he announced the list of the cardinal designates.

Eight of the newly named Cardinals are from Europe, six from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America, and four from Central and Latin America jointly representing the global Church and reflecting a wide variety of cultures, contexts and pastoral ministries.

On the lists of the Cardinal-elects are Archbishops Arthur Roche – Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Lazzaro You Heung sik – Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, L.C. – President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate for Vatican City State, Jean-Marc Aveline – Metropolitan Archbishop of Marseille (France), Filipe Neri António Sebastião di Rosário Ferrão – Archbishop of Goa and Damão (India), Anthony Poola – Archbishop di Hyderabad (India), Paulo Cezar Costa – Metropolitan Archbishop of Brasília (Brazil), William Goh Seng Chye – Archbishop of Singapore (Singapore), Adalberto Martínez Flores – Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción (Paraguay), Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, S.D.B. – Archbishop of Dili (East Timor), Giorgio Marengo, I.M.C. – Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Jorge Enrique Jiménez Carvajal – Archbishop Emeritus of Cartagena (Colombia), Arrigo Miglio – Archbishop Emeritus of Cagliari (Italy), and Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, O.F.M. – Metropolitan Archbishop of Manaus (Brazil),

Bishops: Peter Okpaleke – Bishop of Ekwulobia (Nigeria), Robert Walter McElroy – Bishop of San Diego (U.S.A), Oscar Cantoni – Bishop of Como (Italy), Richard Kuuia Baawobr, M. Africa – Bishop of Wa (Ghana), Lucas Van Looy, S.D.B. – Bishop Emeritus of Gent (Belgium), Fr Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J. – Professor di Theology, and Monsignor Fortunato Frezza – Canon of Saint Peter’s Basilica.