Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins is now a cardinal
Posted Feb 18, 2012 05:48:39 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A glittering ceremony this morning at the Vatican, where Pope Benedict is brought 22 Catholic churchmen into the elite club of cardinals.
Benedict presided over a ceremony Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica to formally create the 22 cardinals, among those being elevated is Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins, who becomes the 16th Canadian to become a cardinal.
Others include the archbishops of New York, Prague, and Hong Kong as well as the heads of several Vatican offices.
Today’s lavish ceremony will leave the Roman Catholic Church with 213 cardinals.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the appointment with an official statement. He says “on the occasion of this great honour for Catholics throughout Canada, I wish our country’s newest cardinal all the best in his continued ministry.”
Among other things, they’ll select a new pope after the death of Benedict, who’s 84 and is showing signs of slowing down.
