Bruised Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals

ROME – A visibly bruised Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals, placing the traditional red caps on their heads in a ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday.

Francis had sustained a clearly visible bruise on his chin due to a minor accident at his home. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that 87-year-old Francis bumped into his bedside table on Friday morning.

During the ceremony for the appointment of new cardinals at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, the bruise on Francis’ chin and neck was clearly visible.

His appearance initially sparked speculation. The pope appeared tired, but he completed the solemn appointment of the 21 new cardinals as planned.

The Argentinian-born pontiff, who has been in office since 2013, turns 88 on Dec. 17.

His health has increasingly become a burden. Due to severe knee pain and a hip ailment, Francis mostly sits in a wheelchair during public appearances and stands only briefly.

During a visit to Colombia in 2017, the pope sustained a black eye after colliding with a window in his vehicle.

The appointment of new cardinals is seen as setting the future course of the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion members around the world.

Twenty of the new members of the College of Cardinals are younger than 80 and are likely to play a role in the election of the next pope.

The new appointments mean that Francis will have appointed 110 of the 140 cardinals likely to be able to vote at the next papal conclave following his death or retirement.

Most of those elevated to the College of Cardinals on Saturday are from Europe, but Francis has again taken the opportunity to appoint clerics from elsewhere, including from Japan, Iran and Algeria.

The youngest is Mykola Bychok, 44, who is responsible for Ukrainians living in Melbourne in Australia. The oldest is Angelo Acerbi, a retired Vatican diplomat, who is 99.