Pope Francis has appointed the first African American cardinal in the Catholic Church. 

Wilton Gregory was appointed alongside 12 other new cardinals.

The 13 were installed at an event held in the Vatican with those attending forced to wear face masks due measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some of the participants attended the ceremony via video link from various countries.

72-year-old Wilton Gregory is the Archbishop of Washington DC.

Read More

  1. Pope Francis hints at lifting millennial ban on Catholic Church celibacy custom
  2. Homosexuality not a crime, Pope Francis says as he terms anti-LGBTQ laws 'unjust'
  3. Former Pope Benedict XVI dies at the age of 95 in the Vatican

Cardinals are the senior-most clerics in the Roman Catholic Church after the head of the church globally- the Pope.

The cardinals are tasked with among other things electing one of them as the pope at a conclave.

However, four of the newly appointed cardinals, based on church rules, will not be allowed to vote in any future conclaves as they are above the age of 80. 

Other new cardinals hail from Rwanda, Italy, Malta, Philippines, Chile, Mexico and Brunei.