Those who see Francis' choices for cardinal in liberal/conservative terms completely miss the point. He isn't interested in mundane politics but in getting back to the roots of the Gospel -- the "poor Church for the poor."

In order to do that, he's slowly correcting the historic imbalances in the College of Cardinals that had Europe and North America over-represented and the poorer nations of the world grossly underrepresented.

If you want a glimpse into the pope's mind, pay attention to what he told Cardinal-elect Mangkhanekhoun: "... the strength of the church resides in the local church, especially the church that is small, the church that is weak, and the church that is persecuted. This is the backbone of the universal church."