Cardinal John Dew – a voice from the periphery

Tuesday, February 17th, 2015

Cardinal John Dew became New Zealand’s 4th Cardinal at the ceremony that took place at 11pm on Saturday New Zealand time.

Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington, and current President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference was the fourth to kneel before Pope Francis as he placed the Cardinals ring on his finger and a biretta (a red hat worn by Cardinals) on his head and declared him a Cardinal.

Speaking after the the consistory Dew said he reflected on the role he is to undertake.

“Since the announcement in early January I have been thinking of what it means for the Archdiocese, New Zealand and the Oceania region.”

“Being here, I am convinced that we in Oceania have much to offer the wider Church. Just as the Church has much to offer us.”

“Being on the periphery does not mean having nothing to offer – just think of all the saints who were offside with conventional wisdom or practice of the time!”

See more photographs on Archdiocese of Wellington Facebook page.
Watch video of Consistory on Youtube

Pope Francis, in his address to the new Cardinals, said “The cardinalate is certainly an honour, but it is not honorific.”

“This we already know from its name – “cardinal” – from the word ‘cardo’, a hinge.”

“As such it is not a kind of accessory, a decoration, like an honorary title. Rather, it is a pivot, a point of support and movement essential for the life of the community.”

“You are “hinges” and are “incardinated” in the Church of Rome, which “presides over the entire assembly of charity.”

The Holy Father went on to say to the new Cardinals, who now become advisers to the Pope, that “The greater our responsibility in serving the Church, the more our hearts must expand according to the measure of the heart of Christ.”

The scarlet red colour worn by Cardinals signifies their willingness to act with courage even to ‘shedding their blood’ to the point of death for the faith.

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