Prague archbishop elevated to cardinal

Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka was elevated to cardinal at a ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Saturday morning. The Prague archbishop is one of 22 new cardinals that Pope Benedict XVI created in the ceremony. Hundreds of Czech pilgrims were in attendance. Dominik Duka was presented with a scarlet biretta and a gold ring, the traditional symbols of the title. As a cardinal, Dominik Duka will be among those clerics authorized to elect a new pope.

On Saturday afternoon, the Prague archbishop led mass for Czech Catholics at Rome’s Church of Saint Gregory VII. The head of Czech diplomacy, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, was in attendance. On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI will be celebrating a special mass with the 22 newly named cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica. Archbishop Duka is the 11th Prague archbishop to be named cardinal.

Author: Sarah Borufka