Earlier today the Pope created 21 new cardinals. Among the new cardinals is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M.,the first time a residential Patriarch has been given the title of Cardinal of the Roman Church. This is significant for several reasons and in my mind chief among them is that Jerusalem is the Mother, the heart of the Christian faith. Catholics around the world ought to be proud that Mother Church is so represented.
His Beatitude, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, serves the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as its Grand Prior, serving with the Grand Master, Fernando Cardinal Filoni.
The Order was represented by the Cardinal Grand Master and the Governor General and a large international delegation.
Among the new cardinals and in addition to Cardinal Pizzaballa are members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre: Cardinal Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Cape Town and Grand Priore for South Africa, Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, Archbishop of Bogota and Grand Priore to Colombia, Cardinal America Manuel Alves Aguiar Bishop of Setúbal (Portugal) and Cardinal Augustine Marchetto, Apostolic Nuncio and Archbishop of Astigi.