Pope Benedict XVI appoints Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria and Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, Colombia as Cardinals. (Google Images)

Rome (CNN) — CNN is reporting that Pope Benedict XVI appointed six new cardinals in a special ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, all of them from countries outside Europe.

One of those elevated to the College of Cardinals was American Archbishop James M. Harvey, who currently serves as prefect of the papal household, according to Vatican Radio.

The others were Bechara Boutros Rai, a Maronite patriarch from Lebanon; Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, an Indian archbishop and head of the Syro-Malankara Church; Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria; Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, Colombia; and Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines.

During the ceremony each received the traditional red hat, or “biretta,” gold ring and a document with the name of the cardinal’s titular church in Rome.

Read more at CNN.

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