Archbishop Battaglia, 61, has been seen as a rising star in the Italian Church. Francis is occasionally known to cite prayers written by the archbishop.

The archbishop's appointment as a cardinal brings the number of new voting-age cardinals who will be created next month to 21. That follows the announcement of the Indonesian Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur that he was declining the pope's offer to make him a cardinal.

The Vatican gave no clear reason for the bishop refusing the pope's appointment, saying only that it was "motivated by his desire to continue growing in priestly life and in service to the Church and the people of God."

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"We have just taken from the safe the reliquary with the blood of our patron saint, which immediately completely liquefied," the abbot of the chapel of the treasury of the Naples Cathedral announced on Sept 19.

The declaration that the miracle had again taken place was made at the start of Mass by Abbot Vincenzo De Gregorio.

The archbishop of Naples, Domenico Battaglia, held the relic of the blood, moving the glass ampoules to demonstrate the liquid state of the blood to the sounds of strong applause. At the same time, the deputy of the wisdom of the people waved a white cloth.

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