Wilton Gregory was installed at a ceremony in the Vatican, with participants donning face masks and some appearing via video link.

The 72-year-old Archbishop of Washington DC was announced as one of the new cardinals last month.

The red-robed cardinals are the most senior clergymen in the Roman Catholic Church after the Pope himself.

Their role includes electing the pope - the head of the Church - who is chosen from among them at a secret gathering known as a conclave.

As four of the new intake are over the age of 80, they will not be allowed to vote at a future conclave under Church rules.

The nine new cardinals who will be eligible to vote - aside from US citizen Wilton Gregory - come from Italy, Malta, Rwanda, the Philippines, Chile, Brunei and Mexico.

The ceremony, known as a consistory, was slimmed down due to the coronavirus. Everyone present wore a mask except for Pope Francis, and each new cardinal removed their face covering when they bent down before the pontiff to be invested.