Pope elevates 24 new cardinals

The giant St Peter\'s Basilica rang with the cheers and applause of the congregation as Benedict read out each of the cardinals\' names before they filed in their scarlet robes through the church.

The 83-year-old pontiff praised them as "pastors who rule with zeal important diocesan communities" and those who had "served with exemplary fidelity the Church and the Holy See."

The pope announced the 24 new cardinals during a general audience in St Peter\'s Square last month, saying their varied nationalities "reflects the universality of the Church."

Known as the "Princes of the Church", the new cardinals\' robes evoked their traditional pledge to serve the Church until their last drop of blood.

Twenty of them, aged under 80, become members of the College of Cardinals, who will elect Benedict\'s successor on his death.

The list is dominated by European clergy but Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Egypt and Zambia are also represented.

In his homily, Benedict emphasised the humility with which cardinals must be seen to carry out their work.

"In the Church, there is no boss, but all are called, we are all invited, we are all affected and guided by divine grace," he said.

The test of greatness was not domination, but service, said Benedict.

"This is a message that is valid for the whole Church and especially for those who have the task of guiding the people of God," he said.

With St Peter\'s pews packed with supporters and compatriots of the various cardinals, Saturday\'s joyous ceremony to create new "Princes of the Church" was in stark contrast to the solemnity of a "day of prayer and reflection" the previous day when more than 150 cardinals dwelt on the challenges facing the Church.

The cardinals also held talks on "the Church\'s response to sexual abuse cases" on Friday evening.

The issue of abuses by priests and cover-ups by bishops has exposed a raw nerve among many ordinary Catholics who are dissatisfied with the Vatican\'s handling of the issue and has put Church authorities on the defensive.

"I\'m tired of talking about this topic. I\'ve had it up to here," Mexican cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan told reporters on the sidelines of the Friday\'s talks.

"It\'s a real media storm," he said.

Cardinals have a key role in the Roman Catholic Church because they elect new popes. The college of cardinals acts as a consultative body that has been likened to the supervisory board of a major multinational corporation.

© Copyright AFP Agence France-Presse GmbH - All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed. All reproduction or redistribution is expressly forbidden without the prior written agreement of AFP.