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Pope Francis led a ceremony in St Peter’s Basilica yesterday to instal 21 new Catholic cardinals with a large bruise on his chin, which the Vatican said was the result of a minor fall the previous morning.
Francis, who turns 88 this month, appeared otherwise on good form, leading a ritual-filled ceremony to elevate churchmen from 17 countries to the College of Cardinals, the elite group that will one day elect his successor.
A purplish blotch could be seen on the right side of the pope’s face, around his lower chin and upper neck. The Vatican’s Press office said Francis had hit his chin on his bedside table on Friday morning.
Francis, pope since 2013, has suffered occasional bouts of ill health in recent years, and now uses a wheelchair due to knee and back pain.
Cardinals are the highest-ranking officials in the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church beside the pope. At the pontiff’s death or resignation, cardinals under the age of 80 are tasked with entering a conclave and choosing the next pope.
Francis has now installed about 80 per cent of the prelates who will elect the next pope, increasing the likelihood that the next pontiff might share his vision for a Church that is more inclusive and engaged with the wider world.
Francis, originally from Argentina and the first pope from the Americas, has focused on strengthening geographic diversity among the cardinals.
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