Newly-elected Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec, is hugged by Pope Francis after receiving the red three-cornered biretta hat during a consistory inside the St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Saturday, Feb.22, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Alessandra Tarantino
February 22, 2014 - 8:40 AM
VATICAN CITY - Quebec Archbishop Gerald Cyprien Lacroix was formally inducted as a cardinal Saturday at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
Lacroix was one of 19 men selected by Pope Francis to take on the senior ecclesiastical post.
Retired Pope Benedict XVI was also on hand for the ceremony honouring the new "princes" of the Catholic Church.
The appointment means the 56-year-old Lacroix will have a hand in electing the next pope, which is a cardinal's most important task.
The native of Saint-Hilaire de Dorset, a small town 300 kilometres east of Montreal, was named Quebec's archbishop in 2011.
There are now four cardinals from Canada, with Lacroix joining Marc Ouellet, Jean-Claude Turcotte, and Thomas Collins.
Many of the new cardinals chosen by Pope Francis hail from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and include representatives from developing nations like Haiti and Burkina Faso.
The selections are in line with his belief that the church must pay more attention to the poor.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014