Cardinal DiNardo

U.S. Archbishop Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, left,
and Archbishop John Foley (were) elevated to cardinal Nov. 24.
Pope Benedict XVI named 23 cardinals, including one from Baghdad.
Left image by Getty Images; right by AP

Cardinal DiNardo. And Galveston-Houston is proud of him!

New American cardinal reflects on red hat

ROME, November 26 (CNA).-The Archbishop of Galveston-Houston Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo was officially raised to the cardinalate at a Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica Saturday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

He discussed the honor at a news conference after the Mass.

"It is a distinctive honor, not just for Texas, but the whole South of the United States, and certainly for Houston," the new cardinal said. "We are proud of it, that the first cardinal ever in the South has been named. It is [an] honor, [a] responsibility and pretty humbling for this kid from Pittsburgh."

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When the announcement came, USA Today carried a story about him and Archbishop Foley being named as Cardinals. One comment made by Cathy Lynn Grossman was:

Unlike the first batch of cardinals named by Benedict in 2006,
"the pope is now selecting from people he appointed himself. …
They will more closely represent the kinds of cardinals he wants,"
Bunson says. "They have long-standing connections
to Catholic education, to promotion of vocations.
They're strong pastoral leaders and good theologians —
back-to-basics Catholics like himself."

It's also a sign of shifting strength inside the Vatican:
DiNardo was well known in Rome for his service in the Congregation for Bishops,
says longtime Vatican watcher and National Catholic Reporter columnist John Allen.

We can hope that they are good and faithful Cardinals, not afraid to speak Truth.

God bless them!

And God bless you!