I'm reading a back issue (I'm always behind) of Inside the Vatican (February 2014) with profiles of the men raised to Cardinal by Pope Francis. Very interesting reading. None were from the U.S. (I think we should cheer.) and many were from poor countries that never had a cardinal before. A number of the men come from modest backgrounds. Also, the orthodoxy of several was particularly noted by the writers. An interesting side note is that the Vatican didn't give these men a heads up. One found out from a woman in the congregation where he was officiating Confirmation. He said, like the apostles on Easter Sunday, he didn't believe it until he read it on the Vatican website. Another said the nunciature is usually notified a few days ahead of the announcement, but they'd heard nothing. The first cardinal from Ouagadougou thought it was a joke.
Click on the Inside the Vatican link above to read the article.
I'll just give a few highlights that really encouraged me:
