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Pope Francis (R) is greeted by Pope emeritus Benedict XVI (L) as he leaves after appointing new cardinals at the consistory in the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on February 22, 2014. Pope Francis will create his first batch of cardinals today, with nine of the 19 coming from South America, Africa and Asia. The new “princes of the Church” will be presented with scarlet-red birettas and gold rings at a grandiose ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica that Vatican observers say should help correct a perceived bias towards European cardinals. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO