Pope Francis adds cardinals, continues efforts at reform

Pope Francis added 20 new members to the College of Cardinals in mid-February, urging them not to see themselves as a priestly elite but to be models of love and humility.

“The greater our responsibility in serving the church, the more our hearts must expand according to the measure of the heart of Christ,” Francis said.

In the week before the installation, Francis held meetings with senior cardinals from around the world who advise him, as well as with the entire College of Cardinals, in an attempt to push ahead with his efforts to overhaul the Roman Curia. Yet there was a sense at the meetings that the momentum for change may be slowing—in part due to resistance from doctrinal conservatives and the Vatican’s old guard—and could use a jump-start.