On May 23, 2025, our confrere Friar Dominique Joseph MATHIEU took possession of the cardinal title given to him by Pope Francis on December 7, 2024, the day he created Friar Dominique a cardinal.
The cardinal title is a link that connects each cardinal to a church in the city of Rome, regardless of whatever ecclesiastical office he might hold, in the city or elsewhere in the world.
Cardinal MATHIEU was initially appointed Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan of the Latins (Iran) on January 8, 2021. He was subsequently consecrated as a bishop on February 16 of the same year. He has been carrying out his delicate mission in the East for a few years now, ministering to a small yet vibrant Christian community within a predominantly Islamic context.
May 23 is the feast day of St. Jeanne Antide Thouret, the patron saint of the church. On that day, the church’s pastor, Father Davide LEES, welcomed the cardinal to his parish in Rome and presented him with a crucifix for the ritual kiss and holy water to bless the numerous faithful who stood at the entrance to the church.
Those concelebrating at the solemn Mass included the Most Reverend Flavio PACE, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and former Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches; Father Alessandro PALLA, the former pastor of the local parish; and Father Carlos Humberto GOMEZ, the Parochial Vicar. Four of our confreres concelebrated as well, namely: the Secretary General, Friar Tomasz SZYMCZAK, who has been carrying out pastoral ministry at that parish for almost fifteen years; the Procurator General, Friar Maurizio DI PAOLO; the Assistant General for the Centralis Europae Foederatio (CEF), Friar Igor SALMIČ; and the Vice-Postulator General, Friar Raimundo Valdo NOGUEIRA.
At the beginning of the Mass, the cardinal’s title was read aloud and at the end, the Papal Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Yala BANORANI DJETABA, who directed the liturgical service, read the minutes of the taking of possession, which were signed by some of those present.
At the end of the event, the pastor hosted a fitting fraternal dinner for the cardinal, his confreres, the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne Antide Thouret, and several laypersons.
Friar Maurizio DI PAOLO
