Pope Francis created 13 new cardinals on Saturday — including the first African-American — putting his personal stamp on the body that will one day choose his successor.

Under the soaring dome of St Peter’s Basilica, the new “princes of the Church” knelt one by one at the feet of the 83-year-old pontiff, who placed the quadrangular scarlet cap, or biretta, on their heads.

The diverse group — whose members hail from Italy, Malta, the Philippines, Chile, Brunei, Mexico and the United States — reflect not only the changing face of the church of 1.3 billion faithful, but also the Jesuit pope’s belief in priests focused on the world’s poor.

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Here’s the complete list of the newly-created cardinals:

Cardinal Mario Grech of Malta is the general secretary of the Synod of Bishops.

On May 26, 1984, the 63-year-old former Bishop of Gozo was ordained as a priest. He has held a number of positions in the Church in Malta, including teaching, with a degree and a doctorate from the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome and the Angelicum respectively.

In 2011, Pope Benedict named him bishop, and as pro-secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis called him to Rome. On September 15, 2020, he was elected General Secretary.

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro from Italy

On September 8, 1971, the 72-year-old cardinal, ordained a priest, taught ecclesiology of dogmatic theology following his studies at the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome. He was elected Bishop of Oria in 1998 and moved to the diocese of Albano in 2004.

In 2013, he was named by Pope Francis as Secretary of the Council of Cardinals, which advises him on the Church’s government and the Roman Curia. Pope Francis named him the head of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 15 October 2020. 

Cardinal Antoine Kambanda

In the genocidal war of 1994, the Archbishop of Kigali (Rwanda) lost his family, except for his brother. He returned to Rwanda after studying in Burundi, Uganda and Kenya, where he also did his philosophical studies. The 62-year-old cardinal was ordained to the priesthood in Rwanda by Saint John Paul II in 1990, after which he taught at the Ndera Minor Seminary (Kigali).

He has a doctorate from Rome in moral theology and has headed the Caritas of Kigali and the Justice and Peace Diocesan Commission. He was elected Bishop of Kibungo by Pope Francis in 2013 and moved to the Archdiocese of Kigali in 2018.

Cardinal Gregory Wilton

The Archbishop of Washington, USA, is from Chicago, Illinois, where he ended his studies in philosophy. Ordained to the priesthood in 1973, he received his doctorate in liturgy from the Pontifical Athenaeum of St Anselm in Rome.

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In 1983, he was elected Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, Bishop of Belleville in 1993, Archbishop of Atlanta in 2004, and Archbishop of Washington in 2019. From 2001 to 2004, he was the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Cardinal Jose F. Advincula

In 1976, Archbishop Capiz of the Philippines ordained a priest for the Archdiocese. The 68-year-old cardinal was the spiritual director of the Seminary of St. Pius X, where he also served as professor and educational dean.

Between Manila and Rome, he studied Psychology and Canon Law, earning a degree in Canon Law. He worked at the seminaries in Vigan, Nueva Segovia, and at the regional seminary in Jaro, back home.

Cardinal Celestino Aós Brac

The 75-year-old cardinal, born in Artaiz, Spain, was sent to Chile in 1983, where he worked in a parish and served as treasurer of the Capuchins in that country. He also served in the ecclesiastical courts of the Diocese of Valparaiso and the Archdiocese of Concepcion and was the treasurer of the Canon Law Association of Chile.

He was appointed Bishop of Copiapó in 2014 and was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Santiago in March 2019 and Archbishop of Copiapó in December 2019.

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Cardinal Cornelius Sim, is the Apostolic Vicar of Brunei.

The 69-year-old electrical engineer and graduate was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. In 1997, with the separation of Brunei from the Diocese of Miri-Brunei and the creation of the Apostolic Prefecture of Brunei by Saint Pope John Paul II, the Cardinal was appointed its Prefect.

He was named the first Apostolic Vicar when Brunei was elevated to the level of Apostolic Vicariate. He thus became the first bishop in the world.

Cardinal Augusto Paolo Lojudice

Archbishop Colle Val d’Elsa-Montalcino of Siena, Italy, was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. In the Diocese of Rome, he held a variety of roles, including the spiritual father of the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary and the parish priest of San Luca al Prenestino.

He was elected the Auxiliary Bishop of Rome in 2015. In May 2019, he was named Archbishop of Siena-Colle Val d’Elsa-Montalcino by Pope Francis.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti

On November 22, in view of the consistory, the Italian priest of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) was consecrated bishop. The 55-year old mechanical graduate also holds a degree in theological anthropology.

In 2000, he was ordained a priest and was elected superior of the Conventual Franciscans of the Province of St. Anthony, Bologna. In 2013, until 2017, he was appointed to serve as Custos (guardian) of the Holy Convent of St Francis in Assisi.

Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi

The bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de las Casas is Esquivel of Mexico. The 80-year-old cardinal, ordained a priest in 1963, held many roles in his native archdiocese of Toluca.

In 1991, he was appointed Bishop of Tapachula. He served as general secretary of the Latin American Bishops’ Conference (CELAM). He was named Bishop of San Cristóbal de Las Casas by St. Pope John Paul II in 2000.

Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi of Italy.

The 80-year-old cardinal, ordained a priest in 1965, served as head of the Pastoral Treatment of Migrants, Refugees & Travelers for the US Bishops. He was secretary of the Pontifical Council of the Vatican for the Pastoral Treatment of Refugees and Itinerant Citizens from 1989 to 1996, after which he was appointed archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia and Eritrea.

He was appointed apostolic nuncio in Djibouti in 2000. From 2003 to 2016, he served as the permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN offices and other organisations.

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Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa

The 86-year-old Italian graduate of theology and classical literature is a former professor at the Sacred Heart University of Milan. He left teaching in 1979 as a former member of the International Theological Commission to devote himself to the ministry of the Word.

In 1980, Pope John Paul II appointed him the Preacher of the Papal Household, a post which was also affirmed by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. His various books in many languages have been translated.

Cardinal Enrico Feroci of Italy

In 1965, the 80-year-old cardinal was ordained a priest and served various duties in the Diocese of Rome. In 1995, he was appointed the Pope’s chaplain. He has been the Rector of the Sanctuary of Divino Amore since 2017 and the Rector of Our Lady of Divine Love Seminary since 2018. He was appointed as the parish priest of the sanctuary in 2019.