Family celebrates with new Kiwi cardinal John Dew

Sunday, 15 February 2015

Archbishop of Wellington John Dew was scheduled to celebrate his first mass as a cardinal this morning after being inducted to the office by Pope Francis.

The service, dedicated to the people and Catholic Church of New Zealand, was to be celebrated at Rome's St Paul's Basilica Outside the Wall.

About 30 members of the cardinal's family - his two sisters and their extended families - were there for the mass.

They had all travelled to Rome for his induction at St Peter's Basilica where he received his cardinal's rings of office and scarlet red biretta hat.

He was the fourth of 20 new cardinals to kneel before the Pope and declare fidelity and obedience to the church leader and his successors.

At 66, Dew is likely to be able to vote for the next Pope. However, five of the new cardinals - being over 80 - will be ineligible to cast a ballot.

Dew has previously laughed off suggestions that he might one day be selected as Pope himself, with the leaders of the Catholic Church traditionally selected from within the College of Cardinals.

While the new role carried with it strict formalities in some countries, such as the address of 'Your Eminence' or 'Your Beatitude', Dew would be more likely to answer to a more casual 'Cardinal John'.

Church spokeswoman Simone Olsen said the service was watched with joy and hope by many New Zealand Catholics who were able to see a live feed on the Vatican website.

That was not possible the last time a New Zealander, Archbishop Thomas Williams, was ordained a cardinal in 1983.

Pope Francis told the service that cardinal was a word derived from 'cardo', or hinge. This referred to the cardinals' role as a pivot, a point of support and movement for the life of the community.