The Vatican has confirmed that cardinals-designate Cornelius Sim of Brunei and Jose Advincula of Capiz will not be able to attend the consistory in Rome on Nov. 28.
The Holy See press office said the cardinals-designate will not be receiving their red hats from Pope Francis because of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The press office said that a representative of the pontiff would present the two new cardinals with their biretta, cardinal’s ring, and title connected with a Roman parish “at another time to be determined.”
The announcement said that existing members of the College of Cardinals who will not be unable to travel to Rome for the consistory can follow the occasion via a livestream feed on social media.
The ordinary public consistory for the creation of new cardinals will take place at 4 p.m. Rome time at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, with a congregation of about a hundred people.
The new cardinals will not, however, follow the custom of receiving well-wishers after the ceremony because of coronavirus restrictions, said a report from the Catholic News Agency.
The new cardinals will then concelebrate Mass with the pope in St. Peter’s Basilica at 10 a.m. local time on Nov. 29.
Pope Francis announced on Oct. 25 the creation of 13 new cardinals, including Archbishops Sim and Advincula.
Other cardinals-designate include Maltese Bishop Mario Grech, who became secretary general of the Synod of Bishops in September, and the Italian Bishop Marcello Semeraro, who was named prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in October.
Also receiving the red hat is the Italian Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, who has served as the Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980. Aged 86, he will not be eligible to vote in a future conclave.
Also appointed to the College of Cardinals are Archbishop Celestino Aós Braco of Santiago, Chile; Archbishop Antoine Kambanda of Kigali, Rwanda; Archbishop Augusto Paolo Lojudice, former Rome auxiliary bishop and current Archbishop of Siena-Colle di Val d’Elsa-Montalcino, Italy; and Fra Mauro Gambetti, Custos of the Sacred Convent of Assisi.
Three others who will receive the red hat but be unable to vote in conclaves are Emeritus Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico; Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, Permanent Observer Emeritus to the United Nations Office and Specialized Agencies in Geneva; and Msgr. Enrico Feroci, parish priest of Santa Maria del Divino Amore at Castel di Leva, Rome.
Cardinal-designate Sim has overseen the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam since 2004. He and three priests serve the roughly 20,000 Catholics who live in Brunei, a small but wealthy state on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.
Cardinal-designate Advincula becomes the ninth Filipino cardinal, following Cardinals Orlando Quevedo, Luis Antonio Tagle, Gaudencio Rosales, Jose Sanchez, Ricardo Vidal, Jaime Sin, Julio Rosales, and Rufino Santos.
