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CV NEWS FEED // In a letter addressed to the 21 newly appointed cardinals, Pope Francis highlighted the importance of humility and compassion within the Catholic Church, calling on them to fully embrace their roles as servants of the faith.
In his letter, Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to the new cardinals and shared that he will be praying “that the title of ‘servant’ (deacon) will increasingly eclipse that of ‘eminence.’”
As CatholicVote reported, Pope Francis announced the appointment of the new cardinals on October 6. Their addition brings the College of Cardinals to a total of 256 members, a record 141 of whom are eligible to vote in a papal conclave, exceeding the traditional limit of 120. Seventy-nine percent of the electors have been appointed by Pope Francis.
Pope Francis encouraged the new cardinals to adopt three important attitudes, drawing inspiration from the Argentine poet Francisco Luis Bernárdez’s depiction of Saint John of the Cross: “‘eyes raised, hands joined, feet bare.’”
The attitude of having their “eyes raised,” according to the Pope’s letter, necessitates that they lengthen their gaze and broaden their hearts to “see farther and to love more expansively and with greater fervor.”
The Pope further stressed the significance of prayer, stating that “hands joined” reflect the Church’s need for prayerful discernment, which will guide the cardinals in shepherding the flock of Christ.
“Prayer is the realm of discernment that helps me to seek and discover God’s will for our people, and to follow it,” Pope Francis wrote.
In conclusion, the Pope shared that “feet bare” symbolizes the need to confront the “harsh realities” of the world, and respond with compassion to a world full of “war, discrimination, persecution, hunger and many forms of poverty.”
