Pope Francis Appoints Tokyo Archbishop Kikuchi as New Cardinal

Pope Francis has appointed Kikuchi Isao, the Archbishop of Tokyo, as one of the 21 new cardinals of the Catholic Church. Kikuchi, 66, becomes the seventh Japanese to achieve this rank.

During a consistory at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Saturday, he and 20 other clergymen received the red hat or Biretta, from the pope.

Kikuchi later told that the pope's 2019 visit to Japan, during which he delivered a peace message from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, reflected his desire for Japan to help lead efforts toward nuclear disarmament and global peace.

Born in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, Kikuchi has served as the Archbishop of Tokyo since 2017. Cardinals, who rank just below the pope, act as key advisers and, if under 80, have the right to vote in a papal conclave.