Cardinal-elect Czerny: new mission, new service, great honour

Among the 13 new cardinals that Pope Francis announced on Sunday, 1 September, is Jesuit priest Father Michael Czerny, the Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. He will be made cardinal on 5 October.

By Robin Gomes

Fr. Michael Czerny SJ was totally surprised by the Pope’s announcement, nominating him one of the 13 new cardinals.

Listen to Fr. Michael Czerny SJ:

“I thank God and I thank Pope Francis for this new mission, this new service, this great honour,” was how the Czech-born Canadian priest greeted the Pope’s announcement.

At that time, the 73-year old priest was not in Rome but far away in Brazil, at the Florestan Fernandes National School at Guararema near Sao Paulo, a school of the landless workers’ movement.

Speaking to Giada Aquilino of Vatican News, he said that representatives of the Latin American popular movements holding a 2-day meeting at the school to prepare their contribution to the Synod of Bishops on the Amazon scheduled for next month in the Vatican.

“I thank God for His providence and for his infinite mercy and His infinite mercy, and I thank everyone for their prayer and support,” Fr. Czerny said.

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