They are simply stating a fact. At the time of this address, he was a Cardinal, hence the title of the article. Since delivering this talk, he has been elected Pope.
Ah.. Once again, I didn't read carefully enough.
For goodness sake, a couple of days ago I asked a poster who wondered about leg cramps if this poster was pregnant.
Turns out this poster is a man. :)
I have kids home for summer vacation. That's my best excuse. :)