He supported the Church's petition for forgiveness in 2000 and met with Saddam Hussein to try to stop the war in Iraq.
He says celibacy allows the Latin Church to be more missionary. He just published the book “Friends of the Bridegroom: For a Renewed Vision of Priestly Celibacy.”
After the consistory, the new cardinals were visited by relatives, friends and authorities from their countries.
He dreamed of being a professor of theology and philosophy, but for 10 years he coordinated the Jesuits’ social initiatives around the world.