Vatican: 31 new archbishops receive Pallium

Source: Vatican Media/Fides

On the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, on Saturday, 29 June, the Holy Father blessed and handed over the Pallium to all the new Metropolitan Archbishops appointed during the course of the year. The Pallium is a symbol of the bond of communion between the Pope and the See of Rome with the Churches of the whole world.

Dating back to at least the fourth century, in its current form, the Pallium is a circular sash of material, made of white lamb's wool, with two flaps of equal length and width that fall on the chest and shoulders, decorated with six embroidered black crosses. The Pallium is worn by the Pope and the Archbishops, above the chasuble, in the most solemn celebrations.

Among the new Archbishops who received the Pallium was Mgr Peter Comensoli of Melbourne, Mgr Peter J Hundt of St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, Mgr John Wilson of Southwark, England, Mgr Wilton Gregory of Washington DC, USA. A pallium was also blessed for Archbishop Michael Mulhall of Kingston Ontario, Canada who was unable to attend.

Thirteen of the Ordinaries from territories entrusted to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. They are, in order of appointment:

Mgr Zeferino ZECA MARTINS SVD, Archbishop of Huambo, Angola; Mgr Fridolin AMBONGO BESUNGU, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Mgr Philip A. ANYOLO, Archbishop of Kisumu (Kenya); Mgr Joseph VU VĂN THIÊN, Archbishop of Hà Nôi (Viêt Nam); Mgr Antoine KAMBANDA, Archbishop of Kigali (Rwanda); Mgr Elias Joseph GONSALVES, Archbishop of Nagpur (India);
Mgr Kornelius SIPAYUNG, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Medan (Indonesia); Mgr Gervas John MWASIKWABHILA NYAISONGA, Archbishop of Mbeya (Tanzania); Mgr John Bonaventure KWOFIE, CSSp, Archbishop of Accra (Ghana); Mgr Renatus Leonard NKWANDE of Mwanza (Tanzania); Mgr Michael Jude BYRNES, Archbishop of Agaña (Guam); Mgr Mark TIN WIN, Archbishop of Mandalay (Myanmar); Mgr Dabula Anton MPAKO, Archbishop of Pretoria (South Africa).