Appointment of first Cardinal from Papua New Guinea

NZ Bishops delighted by appointment of first Cardinal from Papua New Guinea

Archbishop Sir John Ribat, of Port Moresby Diocese in Papua New Guinea was named by Pope Francis among the list of 17 new Cardinals appointed to the College of Cardinals.

Of the appointment one of New Zealand’s Cardinals, Cardinal John Dew said, “I, and I’m sure my brother bishops here in New Zealand and throughout Oceania will be, am delighted to have heard the news overnight of Archbishop Ribat’s appointment.

“It’s wonderful for the people of Papua New Guinea, their first ever Cardinal, within which there is a significant Catholic population, but it is also great news for the Pacific, and for the Church. He is currently serving as the President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops of Oceania, and his elevation is cause for celebration across all of Oceania,” said Cardinal John.

“This news again shows Pope Francis’ continued commitment to the Church throughout the world including the smaller nations in the geographical peripheries,” he said.

“This is much more than a choice of geography though, Archbishop Sir John Ribat is a humble, pastoral and committed leader in his country and the wider Oceania region, and this is acknowledgment of that and a call to further serve the global Church.

“I believe the global Church will benefit from the contribution of the Church in Oceania, despite our geographical distance from the rest of the world.

Pope Francis made the announcement of 17 new cardinals, with 11 coming from places never before included in the College of Cardinals during his weekly Sunday address following the noon-time Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square.

He will hold a consistory of cardinals on the November 19 vigil of the close of the Jubilee of Mercy, during which he will formalise the new appointments.

Eleven come from places that have never had a cardinal, including new cardinal electors: Archbishop Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic; Archbishop Patrick D'Rozario of Dhaka, Bangladesh; Archbishop Baltazar Porras Cardozo of Merida, Venezuela; and, Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico.

Two come from island nations not before represented, cardinal electors Bishop Maurice Piat of Mauritius' Port Louis and Archbishop John Ribat of Papua New Guinea's Port Moresby.

More details on Archbishop Sir John Ribat are available here http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bribat.html

FULL LIST OF CARDINALS (ANNOUNCED OVERNIGHT)

Archbishop Zenari, an Italian, 70.

Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic, 49.

Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Madrid, 71.

Archbishop Sergio da Rocha of Brasilia, Brazil, 56.

Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, 67.

Archbishop Patrick D'Rozario of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 73.

Archbishop Baltazar Porras Cardozo of Merida, Venezuela, 72.

Archbishop Jozef De Kesel of Malines-Brussels, Belgium, 69.

Archbishop Maurice Piat of Port-Louis, Mauritius, 75.

Bishop Kevin Farrell, prefect of the new Vatican office for laity, 69.

Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla, Mexico, 66.

Archbishop John Ribat of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 59.

Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis, 64.

Retired Archbishop Anthony Soter Fernandez of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 84.

Retired Archbishop Renato Corti of Novara, Italy, 80.

Retired Bishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai of Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho, 87.

Fr Ernest Simoni, from Albania, 87.

© Scoop Media