Archbishop Donald Wuerl prays as he celebrates mass at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI today named Washington's Archbishop Donald Wuerl, 69, to the College of Cardinals.

WASHINGTON — Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington said he was filled with "great excitement" and "great joy"after being one of 24 new cardinals named Wednesday by Pope Benedict XVI.

Wuerl was one of two Americans elevated to the elite group that will elect Benedict's successor.

The new cardinals include prelates from key posts in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa as well as Archbishop Raymond Burke, an American who leads the Vatican's supreme court and has been sharply critical of the U.S. Democratic Party for its support of abortion rights.

Cardinals are close advisers to a pope, but their key job is to elect the pontiff.

Wuerl, 69, celebrated Mass on Wednesday morning at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in downtown Washington, where President John F. Kennedy's funeral was held in 1963. He asked for prayers from about 50 people who gathered, and many applauded at the end of the service.

"I'm humbled, and I'm grateful," he said. "It's really a recognition of the significance of the church here in the nation's capital."

Wuerl is the fifth archbishop of Washington to have received the honor. He became the leader of the Archdiocese of Washington in 2006, after serving as bishop of Pittsburgh, where he was born, for 18 years.

The Washington Archdiocese is smaller than Pittsburgh but is a symbolic leadership post because it includes the nation's capital along with five Maryland counties. His ties to the capital date back to the 1960s when Wuerl studied at The Catholic University of America's Theological College.

In April 2008, Wuerl hosted Benedict's visit to Washington, which included a Mass at Nationals Park filled with multicultural music.

In the past year, Wuerl drew attention for challenging the District of Columbia's new same-sex marriage law by ending spousal health benefits for employees of Catholic Charities. He said the church had no choice if it wanted to avoid recognizing same-sex couples as married.

He also is known for refusing to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. In 2009, Wuerl delivered a prayer at a service for President Barack Obama's inauguration.

During Mass on Wednesday, Wuerl said his nephew once asked him: "What happens when you become a cardinal?"

"You get a new hat," Wuerl replied.

The red hats worn by cardinals signify a special connection with the Vatican, he said.

On Wednesday morning, Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said she was receiving congratulatory e-mails from all over the country and that Wuerl has been fielding phone calls from well-wishers.

The new cardinals will be formally elevated at a ceremony in Rome on Nov. 20.