Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have appeared together at a major public service for the first time since the former Pope’s retirement.
The former and present pontiffs were at a ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica to formally install 19 new cardinals on February 22.
Benedict entered the basilica discreetly from a side entrance surrounded by a small entourage and was greeted with applause and tears from the stunned people in the pews.
He smiled, waved and took his seat in the front row, off to the side, alongside the cardinals.
At the start of the ceremony Francis greeted his predecessor, embracing him in a hug.
Benedict, in what may have been a sign of obedience to Francis, removed his white skullcap during the greeting. The two also exchanged greetings at the end of the ceremony.
In a sign that Benedict still commands the honour and respect owed to a pope, each of the 19 new cardinals — after receiving his red hat from Francis at the altar — went directly to Benedict’s seat to greet him before exchanging a sign of peace with the other cardinals.
Francis told the prelates that among their responsibilities is expressing compassion and building peace.
In short remarks following a Gospel reading, Francis explained what the Church would require from them, stating frankly: “I will tell you what the Church needs.”
“The Church has need for your compassion, especially at this time of pain and suffering for so many countries around the world,” Francis said.
“The Church needs us also to be peacemakers, building peace by our own works, our hopes and our prayers: let us therefore invoke peace and reconciliation for those peoples presently experiencing violence, exclusion and war,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Francis called on the cardinals to “walk together behind the Lord” and “always be called together by him, in the midst of his faithful people – the holy people of God – to holy mother the Church”.
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