“We are very happy,” the SACBC President said in his exchange of pleasantries with Cardinal Napier and the Cardinal-designate. He added, addressing the Cardinal-designate Brislin, “Are you happy?”
“I was very surprised,” the Cardinal-designate responded, and added, “I had no inkling that this was going to happen.”
Describing his naming as “a great honor”, the South African Cardinal-designate said, “However, as the Holy Father has already pointed out to us previously, to be Cardinal’s position is not meant to be an honor. It is meant to be a way of serving people, serving the Church, serving society and of course, giving support to the Holy Father. It is with that intention that I get into this (position) and I will try to do that as wholeheartedly as I possibly can.”
The Local Ordinary of Cape Town Archdiocese who will turn 67 six days to the September 30 Consistory expressed gratitude that the Church in South Africa still had Cardinal Napier, saying that he would be looking upon the long-serving Prelate for guidance.
“I admire very much the way Cardinal Napier has led the Church in Southern Africa over the years. It is very good to have him so that he can share some of his wisdom with me and give me advice,” he said.
On his part, Cardinal Napier expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for giving South Africa a second Cardinal.
His reaction at the news had been “absolute delight”, Cardinal Napier said, noting that Pope Francis’ naming of the second Cardinal in the country had been a vote of confidence on the part of the Holy Father, “that he needs to hear a voice from Southern Africa.”
“I think it gives a clear indication of how he (Pope Francis) considers our Church down here,” the 82-year-old Archbishop emeritus of Durban said.
He added, “One of the things I have learnt from being a Cardinal is that the Pope really does rely on the information that he gets from his inner circle of advisors, and that is what Cardinals are.”
“Pope Benedict, for instance, was the first one to show us how he viewed the College of Cardinals. Very shortly after he was elected, he called a Consistory. His main reason was to get advice,” the Cardinal who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 1981 as Bishop of South Africa’s Kokstad Diocese said.
