New cardinals express joy at news of appointment

Denver, Colo., Feb 22, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Upon receiving news of their appointment to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI, several new cardinals expressed their joy and gratitude, as well as their sense of responsibility, over their new task in the Church.

Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong said he was happy to have been among the first cardinals named by Pope Benedict XIV.  He said his appointment was an indication of the Holy Father’s concern for the Church in China.

Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, South Korea, is the second Korean to be named a cardinal.  The first was Cardinal Stephan Kim in 1969.  Archbishop Cheong Jin-suk said he was “honored to become a cardinal thanks to the support of the people and the government as well as the Church.”  The South Korean president and the administrator of the Buddhist order of Chogye also congratulated the archbishop for his appointment.

Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley of Boston said he felt “deeply honored at being made a cardinal by the Holy Father, for greater service to the Church.”  In a humble statement to the faithful of the archdiocese, the archbishop noted: “While there are certain additional responsibilities that come with the privilege of serving as a Cardinal, I wish to reaffirm a commitment I made during my Installation Homily to the priests, deacons, religious and laity, who together form this great Archdiocese of Boston. That is, I am your Shepherd, your brother, and I am here to serve all the people of the Archdiocese.”