The Rector Major is now a Cardinal
(via ANS) Vatican City, Vatican - September 2023 - On the morning of Saturday 30 September, during the Ordinary Public Consistory, Pope Francis created the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime a cardinal, assigning him the Diaconate of Our Lady Help of Christians in Via Tuscolana. It was a day of joy and emotion for the entire Salesian Family, and there were many messages of good wishes and support for the new Cardinal. The motto he chose is “Sufficit tibi gratia mea” (My grace is sufficient for you).
Cardinal Fernández Artime's coat of arms features a unique design, omitting the shield typically attached to a stylized gold cross on a pole since he is not a bishop. Within the hooded shield, three significant elements stand out. The first section displays the iconic figure of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, inspired by the Catacombs of San Callisto in Rome, a place entrusted to the care of the Sons of Don Bosco. In the second section, at the top left, is the monogram "MA," paying homage to Mary Help of Christians, surmounted by a matching crown. The third section presents a silver anchor with two hooks, strung in red. The shield is adorned with a cardinal's hat adorned with beads and red tassels, signifying his cardinal dignity, with thirty tassels, organized in five groups of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Beneath the shield, on a silver background, the motto is inscribed in bold black capital letters: 'SUFFICIT TIBI GRATIA MEA' (My grace is enough for you). This motto, drawn from Saint Paul (2 Cor 12: 9), signifies unwavering trust in Divine Providence.
The central figure of the Good Shepherd in the shield symbolizes Christ as the guiding shepherd of His people. The monogram of Mary Help of Christians pays homage to the Virgin Mary, whom Don Bosco entrusted to his congregation. Lastly, the anchor, rooted in Cardinal Fernández Artime's Spanish origins as the son of a fisherman, also reflects the theological virtue of hope, a symbol dear to the Salesian Congregation and its founder, Don Bosco.
