I was happy to see His Holiness Pope Francis use today
the Ferula of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.
He bears is well!
Bravo also to the Successor of Saint Peter for his further catholicizing of the College of Cardinals (which has been long overdue given the disproportionate number of cardinals from those nations that could pay for the red hat!), continuing the trend of his predecessors of making it increasingly more representative of the Catholic population of the world (which is mainly in the southern hemisphere!). I am happy to have a Pope who is not afraid to lead!
It will take a while before the presbyteral and episcopal leadership in the US is righted in this regard; i.e. for it to be representative of the Catholic population of the nation, which for well over a decade is predominantly Latino!
The Holy Spirit cut right through all the political dung in the Church and gave us a Latino King who thinks for himself! God continues to defy our puny categories!