Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Pope Francis to create 20 new cardinals who may choose his successor

Pope Francis to create 20 new cardinals who may choose his successor

Pope Francis is creating 20 new cardinals on Saturday, a further step in the preparation of his succession.
The consistory, the eighth of Francis' pontificate since his election in 2013, comes against a backdrop of speculation that the 85-year-old pope, who has been forced to use a wheelchair for several months due to knee pain, might step down one day.

At 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Saturday, under the gilding of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Pope will create 20 new cardinals, among whom 16 “electors” — those under the age of 80 — will be able to participate in the future conclave.

The appointment of these senior prelates to assist the pope is being scrutinized by observers as an indication of the future spiritual leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics.

Sensitive to minority communities and to evangelization, the Argentinean Jesuit has freed himself from the traditional choice of archbishops from large cities, preferring less expected profiles.

With five Asians, including two Indians, this consistory confirms the rise in power of this continent. It is also "representative of today's Church, with a large place for the southern hemisphere", where 80% of Catholics live, underlines Vatican expert Bernard Lecomte.

At the end of this consistory, the first since November 2020, Pope Francis will have chosen 83 cardinals out of the current total of 132 electors: almost two-thirds, the proportion necessary to elect a new pope, even if this choice is always unpredictable.

With 40% of the electors, Europe remains the most represented continent, ahead of South America and Asia (16% each), Africa (13%) and North America (12%).

Among the notable personalities is the American Robert McElroy, Bishop of San Diego in California, who is considered progressive for his positions on homosexual Catholics in particular.

Also of note is the unexpected choice of Italian missionary Giorgio Marengo, who works in Mongolia and will become the world's youngest cardinal at 48.

Alongside them is Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, who becomes the sixth Frenchman in the College of Cardinals.

"This trust that the Pope has placed in me is a great honor, which commits me and obliges me even more in my mission in the service of Christ," said Archbishop Aveline, 63, who is particularly committed to interreligious dialogue.

Other men from the field to wear the purple robe are Nigerian Peter Okpaleke, Brazilian Leonardo Ulrich Steiner and Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, Archbishop of East Timor.

Three future cardinals already hold positions of responsibility in the Curia, the Vatican's "government": the British Arthur Roche, the South Korean Lazzaro You Heung-sik and the Spaniard Fernando Vérgez Alzaga.

As is customary, all will kneel before the Pope to receive their red biretta and cardinal's ring. The ceremony, at which France will be represented by its Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, will be followed by the traditional "courtesy visit" to the Vatican, which allows the public to greet the new cardinals.

Following this, on Monday and Tuesday, there will be a meeting with cardinals from all over the world, whom the Argentine pontiff wanted to bring together to discuss the new Vatican "Constitution", which came into force in June, and the future of the Church.

Jorge Bergoglio has recently accelerated his reforms of the Curia and its finances to introduce more transparency.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
EU Investigates TikTok for Child Safety Concerns
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
France and Germany Struggle to Align on European Defense Strategy
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Russia "Very Close" To Creating Cancer Vaccines, Says Vladimir Putin
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Microsoft says it caught hackers from China, Russia and Iran using its AI tools
US Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Offer in Ukraine
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke and Self-Protection Strategies
A Londoner has been arrested for expressing his Christian beliefs.
Chinese Women Favor AI Boyfriends Over Humans
Greece must address role in migrant vessel disaster that killed 600: Amnesty
Google pledges 25 million euros to boost AI skills in Europe
Hungarian President Katalin Novák Steps Down Amid Pardon Controversy
Activist crashes Hillary Clinton's speech, calls her a 'war criminal.'
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Trudeau reacts to Putin's mention of Canadian Parliament applauding a former Ukrainian Nazi in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The Spanish police blocked the farmers protest. So the farmers went out and moved the police car out of the way.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander
Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin raises EU concerns
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
Russia's Economy Expands by 3.6% Due to Increased Military Spending
Ukraine MPs Vote To Permit Use Of Dead Soldiers' Sperm
German Princess Becomes First Aristocrat To Pose Naked On Playboy Cover
UK’s King Charles III diagnosed with cancer
EU's Ursula von der Leyen Confronts Farmer Protests Amid Land Policy Debates
Distinguishing Between Harmful AI Media and Positive AI-Generated Content: A Crucial Challenge for the EU
Tucker Carlson explains why he interviewed Putin
Dutch farmers are still protesting in the Netherlands against the government, following the World Economic Forum's call for 'owning nothing.'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stands up for European farmers and says, 'Brussels is suffocating European farmers.
×