ROSALES ELEVATED TO CARDINAL IN VATICAN RITES
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales receives the red
three-cornered biretta hat from Pope Benedict XVI as he is elevated to cardinal
in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican yesterday. – AFP]
VATICAN CITY, March 25, 2006 (STAR) Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI along with 14 others yesterday, has identified "the evangelization of Asia" as "the challenge of our times."
Rosales, who heads Asia’s biggest diocese, told the Catholic Asianews agency it was thus significant that the Pope had chosen to elevate him and two other Asians — Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, and Hong Kong bishop Joseph Zen, an outspoken campaigner for religious freedom.
"Asia is the cradle of millennia-old religions, including Christianity, as well as being the center of economic development, with countries like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, not to mention the giants of China and India," he said.
In Manila, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) welcomed Rosales’ appointment as cardinal.
CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said in a statement that he and other bishops join the country in praying for Rosales as he takes on his new role.
"The CBCP profoundly thanks His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for honoring one of its members, the archbishop of Manila, with the dignity of a cardinal," Lagdameo said. "The CBCP joins the archdiocese of Manila in its rejoicing over the promotion of Archbishop Rosales."
Rosales, 73, is the sixth Filipino ordained as cardinal. Rufino Cardinal Santos, Julio Cardinal Rosales and Jaime Cardinal Sin have passed away. Jose Cardinal Sanchez has retired and is living in the Vatican, while Ricardo Cardinal Vidal remains the archbishop of Cebu.
Rosales was born on Aug. 10, 1932. He was ordained as a priest on March 23, 1958.
In August 1974, he was appointed by the late Pope Paul VI as auxiliary bishop of Manila. At the same time, he served as bishop in charge of East Antipolo and director of the Pontifical Mission Society. From 1980 to 1982, he was the rector of San Carlos Seminary.
In June 1982, he was appointed coadjutor bishop of the prelature of Malaybalay, Bukidnon. In December 1992, Pope John Paul II assigned Rosales to the archdiocese of Lipa, his home and original diocese.
Rosales was formally installed as archbishop of Manila on Nov. 21, 2003.
Prior to leaving for Rome last March 17, Rosales met with journalists and said he felt unworthy of his new assignment and incompetent "in the sense of the expectation of some people but not incompetent in the sense of what God wants me to do."
Rosales will be among the first 15 cardinals of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate — his initial selection of those who will eventually choose his successor.
The new cardinals will receive the symbols of their high office from the pontiff at a rare consistory at the Vatican.
In the colorful ceremony expected to be watched by millions on television, the newly elevated cardinals will kneel before the Pope for his blessing, and receive a red zucchetto, or skullcap, and a square, scarlet red biretta to wear over it.
Cardinals traditionally wear red to show that they are ready to shed their blood in defense of their faith.
On Saturday, the Pope will wind up the consistory with a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, in which the cardinals will receive their rings of office, and also be named titular head of a church in Rome.
The new appointments will bring the body that will elect the pope to 120, and represent the first-chosen of the post-John Paul II era. Before the new appointments, all but one — William Baum of Washington — had been appointed by Benedict’s late predecessor.
The new cardinals, representing 11 countries in five continents, reflect "the universality of the Church," Benedict said when he announced the nominations last month.
"In fact, they come from every part of the world and carry out diverse duties in service to the people of God," the Pope said.
The consistory was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. yesterday (Manila time) and last about two hours.
The congregation will be addressed by Archbishop William Levada, the Pope’s successor as head of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and most senior member of the incoming cardinals.
In the afternoon, the new cardinals will each be assigned a room at the Vatican in which to receive lines of diplomats and well-wishers, one of the rare occasions when the hallowed halls of the Vatican are opened to the public.
Rosales will lead a thanksgiving Mass with Filipino priests and migrants in Italy at the Santa Maria Maggiore. He will also meet with Ambassador to Vatican City Leonida Vera.
He will have an audience with the Pope on Monday before flying back to Manila Wednesday night.
The total number of cardinals, the "Princes of the Church" who are the Pope’s special advisors on governing his 1.1 billion-strong flock, will rise to 193 with yesterday’s ceremony.
However, 70 of them are over 80 years of age and thus ineligible to vote in a conclave. — AFP, Edu Punay