Instead of the usual thousands, only 10 guests per cardinal were allowed in St. Peter's Basilica as the pope gave the men their ring and traditional red hat, known as a biretta. He has now appointed 57% of the 128 cardinal electors, most of whom share his vision of a more inclusive and outward-looking Church. While Europe still has the largest share of cardinal electors, with 41%, it is down from 52% in 2013 when Francis became the first Latin-American pope. Each new cardinal removed theirs when they knelt before him to be invested, except Gregory, who kept it on. The new cardinals later paid a courtesy visit to 93-year-old former Pope Benedict XVI, who lives on the Vatican grounds.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 28, 2020 17:03 UTC