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Pope Francis
Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
- The announcement puts the pope’s mark on the group that will one day choose his successor.
- The Cardinal-elects hail from around the world including the United States, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland and South Africa.
- Pope Francis is set to elevate 21 churchmen to the high rank of cardinal.
Pope Francis has announced he would elevate 21 churchmen to the high rank of cardinal, again putting his mark on the group that will one day choose his successor after his death or resignation.
The ceremony to install them, known as a consistory, will be held on September 30, the 86-year-old Francis announced on Sunday during his noon prayer to pilgrims and tourists in St Peter’s Square.
Eighteen of the churchmen are under 80 and would be able to enter an eventual conclave to choose the next pope. The other three, who are over 80 and too old to vote in the conclave, were named in thanks for their long service to the Church.
All cardinals, regardless of their age, are allowed to take part in pre-conclave meetings known as General Congregations, giving them a say in the type of pope they think their younger brother cardinals should choose.
The new cardinals come from countries including the United States, Italy, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania and Portugal.
Here are the names of the future Cardinals:
Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops
Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches
Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernandez, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, Apostolic Nunzio
Archbishop Christophe Louis Yves Georges Pierre, Apostolic Nunzio
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of the Cape Town (Kaapstad)
Archbishop Ángel Sixto Rossi SJ, Archbishop of Córdoba
Archbishop Luis José Rueda Aparacio, Archbishop of Bogotá
Archbishop Grzegorz Rys, Archbishop of Lódz
Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba
Archbishop José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid
Archbishop Protase Ruganbwa, Coadjutor Archbishop of Tabora
Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong
Bishop François-Xavier Bustillo OFM Conv., Bishop of Ajaccio
Bishop Américo Manuel Alvez Aguiar, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon
Reverend Ángel Fernandez Artime, sdb, Rector Major of the Salesians
Congratulations to Archbishop Stephen Brislin ??, and the Archdiocese of Cape Town, on the announcement by Pope Francis of his selection for membership to the College of Cardinals at the next consistory.
Read more here ??https://t.co/oK4KWus81B pic.twitter.com/717zFJjalr
— Archdiocese Of Durban (@archdiocese_of) July 9, 2023
Three of the new cardinals were recently named as heads of major Vatican departments, including Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department.
Another significant appointment was that of Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong. Chow is one of the major links to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican is trying to improve conditions for Catholics.
For decades, the Vatican and China have experienced tensions alternating with improvement of relations over the Communist-led nation’s insistence that it has the right to appoint bishops and the jailing of priests who professed loyalty to the pope.
Israeli and Palestinian spiral of violence
On Sunday, in remarks preceding his reading out of the list of new cardinals, Pope Francis also expressed hope that Israeli and Palestinian authorities would take up “direct dialogue” to end the “spiral of violence” – a reference to recent deadly raids by Israeli forces.
Cardinals serve as advisers to the pontiff on matters of teaching and administration, including the Vatican’s scandal-plagued finances. But their most crucial duty is gathering in a secret conclave to elect the next pontiff.
Francis has named numerous batches of new cardinals in his 10-year papacy. That means, increasingly, the men who will vote for whoever succeeds him, in the event of his resignation or death, are churchmen supportive of his values, priorities and perspectives.
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