VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is leading a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica to give the Catholic church five new cardinals.

Three of the new cardinals Francis announced last month are from developing countries — Mali, Laos and El Salvador. The others are an archbishop from Spain and a bishop from Sweden, where Catholics are a minority among Christians.

Taking his place in the basilica on Wednesday was Bamako Archbishop Jean Zerbo, who Francis selected last month to be the first cardinal from impoverished Mali.

Some European media had speculated the ailing Zerbo might not show up after recent news reports named him as one of three Mali prelates holding multi-million euro Swiss bank-accounts.

Francis, the first Jesuit pope, has said he wants the Catholic Church to be poor and for the poor.