Madagascar Bishop Named Cardinal

Pope Francis, on May 20, 2018, announced the names of 14 new Cardinals to be created at a consistory on June 29, 2018.  He made the announcement when speaking to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the noonday Regina Cᴂli.

The Cardinals-to-be are from countries around the world including Iraq, Pakistan, Portugal, Peru, Madagascar, Italy, Poland, Mexico, and Japan.

Archbishop of Toamasina, Madagascar, His Excellency Desiré Tsarahazana, was among the persons named to receive red hats from the Pope.

He was born on 13 June 1954 in Amboangibe, Madagascar and ordained a priest on 28 September 1986.

Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Fenoarivo Atsiranana on 30 October 2000 and he was consecrated a bishop on 18 February 2001. He chose as his episcopal motto “Sois vainqueur du mal par le bien” (“Conquer evil with good”).

Subsequently, on 24 November 2008, Pope Benedict XVI named him Bishop of Toamasina where he became Archbishop when the diocese was raised to the status of Archdiocese on 26 February 2010.

His Excellency Desiré Tsarahazana was the Vice-President of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar from 2006 to 2012 and has since November 2012 been its President.

The names of the other 13 new Cardinals are:

1. His Beatitude Louis Raphaël I Sako – Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon
2. His Excellency Luis Ladaria –Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
3. His Excellency Angelo De Donatis – Vicar General of Rome
4. His Excellency Giovanni Angelo Becciu – Substitute of the Secretary of State and Special Delegate for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
5. His Excellency Konrad Krajewski – Almoner of the Office of Papal Charities
6. His Excellency Joseph Coutts – Archbishop of Karachi
7. His Excellency António dos Santos Marto – Bishop of Leiria-Fátima
8. His Excellency Pedro Barreto – Archbishop of Huancayo
9. His Excellency Giuseppe Petrocchi – Archbishop of L’Aquila
10. His Excellency Thomas Aquinas Manyo – Archbishop of Osaka
11. His Excellency Sergio Obeso Rivera – Emeritus Archbishop of Xalapa.
12. His Excellency Toribio Ticona Porco – Emeritus Bishop of Corocoro.
13. Reverend Father Aquilino Bocos Merino – member of the Claretian order.