Post by Webmaster on Oct 21, 2003 21:34:20 GMT
Croatia's new cardinal, Josip Bozanic, yesterday received the red hat of the College of Cardinals from Pope John Paul II in an outdoor ceremony in St Peter's Square.
Several hundred thousand people packed the square on a warm autumn morning in Rome for the ceremony.
Cardinal Bozanic was welcomed into the College of Cardinals along with 26 other archbishops and four priests from around the world.
He was watched by thousands of Croatians and his family members who had journeyed to Rome.
The Pope, sounding and looking s.er then he had in recent days, though clearly weak and frail, received a rousing welcome from the crowd which spilled from the steps of St Peter for 500m back along the Via Della Consizalione.
The bells of St Peter's Basilica began ringing out across the eternal city at 10.10am, and a few minutes later the new Cardinals entered the Square in procession to approach the diaz that was brilliantly decorated with thousands of red and yellow flowers.
As the names of the new Cardinals were read out those who received the loudest cheers were Cardinal Pell of Australia, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Genoa, Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Edinburgh and Cardinal Bozanic.
As part of yesterday's ceremony, the Pope placed the Red Hat or the Berretta on the head of each Cardinal with the words "this is red as a sign of the dignity of the office of a Cardinal, signifying that you are ready to act with fortitude, even to the point of spilling your blood for the increase of the Christian faith, for peace and harmony among the people of God, for freedom and the spread of the Holy Roman Catholic Church".
In turn, each Cardinal approached the Pope, knelt down and was handed his red hat and then kissed the Pope's ring.
Congratulations to Cardinal Bozanic on reaching this highest post.
Several hundred thousand people packed the square on a warm autumn morning in Rome for the ceremony.
Cardinal Bozanic was welcomed into the College of Cardinals along with 26 other archbishops and four priests from around the world.
He was watched by thousands of Croatians and his family members who had journeyed to Rome.
The Pope, sounding and looking s.er then he had in recent days, though clearly weak and frail, received a rousing welcome from the crowd which spilled from the steps of St Peter for 500m back along the Via Della Consizalione.
The bells of St Peter's Basilica began ringing out across the eternal city at 10.10am, and a few minutes later the new Cardinals entered the Square in procession to approach the diaz that was brilliantly decorated with thousands of red and yellow flowers.
As the names of the new Cardinals were read out those who received the loudest cheers were Cardinal Pell of Australia, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Genoa, Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Edinburgh and Cardinal Bozanic.
As part of yesterday's ceremony, the Pope placed the Red Hat or the Berretta on the head of each Cardinal with the words "this is red as a sign of the dignity of the office of a Cardinal, signifying that you are ready to act with fortitude, even to the point of spilling your blood for the increase of the Christian faith, for peace and harmony among the people of God, for freedom and the spread of the Holy Roman Catholic Church".
In turn, each Cardinal approached the Pope, knelt down and was handed his red hat and then kissed the Pope's ring.
Congratulations to Cardinal Bozanic on reaching this highest post.
