Standing in communion alongside brother bishops from Argentina, Ecuador, Iran, Serbia and a rich assemblage of other nations, Toronto's Archbishop Francis Leo was elevated to the College of Cardinals at St. Peter’s Basilica today.

Leo, who has shepherded the Archdiocese of Toronto for just under two years, was the 15th of 21 clerics elevated into the College of Cardinals during the Papal Consistory at the Vatican. He becomes only the fifth Cardinal from the Archdiocese of Toronto, following Cardinals Thomas Collins, Aloysius Ambrozic, Gerald Emmett Carter and James McGuigan. He now joins Cardinals Collins, Marc Ouellet, Michael Czerny and Gerald Lacroix as Canadians in the College of Cardinals.

Following an opening prayer and Scripture reading, Pope Francis commenced the creation of new cardinals with a statement about this ceremony being “an agreeable and solemn task of our sacred ministry.”

The Bishop of Rome expressed that joining the College of Cardinals invites the new brethren to be “united to the Chair of Peter.” And it was accentuated that being invested wearing “sacred purple” is a reminder they are to “be fearless witnesses to Christ and His Gospel in the City of Rome and faraway regions.”

Leo, who began his life journey to this special moment 53  years ago in Montreal, then delivered his profession of faith and oath of fidelity in solidarity with the other 20 entrants.

As a new Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, the only new appointee from North America, Leo promised and swore to remain faithful to Christ, the Holy Apostolic Roman Church and the Pope. He also pledged to “always remain in communion with the Catholic Church in my words and actions” and “to carry out diligently and faithfully the duties to which I am called in service to the Church, according to the norms laid down by law.”

The climax of the ceremony began with the imposition of the biretta. The recognizable square cap with three peaks signifies a cardinal’s “readiness to act with courage, even to the shedding of your blood, for the increase of the Christian faith, for the peace of and tranquility of the people of God and for the freedom and growth of the Holy Roman Church." 

Leo and his 20 brothers in Christ then received the ring from the hands of Peter as a reminder that “your love is strengthened by the prince of the apostles.”

The consistory ended with a prayerful closing chapter. The Lord’s Prayer, a closing benediction and, to the sure delight to Leo, a renowned devotee of Mother Mary, a Marian antiphon were recited.

Following the ceremony, Leo celebrated in the Vatican palace with family, friends, Canadian delegates and the people of Rome.