Pope Francis yesterday appointed 20 new cardinals chosen from diverse parts the world, most of whom could one day end up choosing the pontiff’s successor.
Francis has raised the possibility of retiring due to his declining health, a path taken by his predecessor, Benedict XVI. If he were to do so, a conclave involving all cardinals aged under 80 would be called to pick a successor. Sixteen of the 20 cardinals created yesterday would be eligible for that conclave based on their ages.
The ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica was the 85-year-old pope’s eighth since being elected in 2013, and included clergy known for their pastoral work and, in some cases, progressive views.
Photo: EPA-EFE
All parts of the globe are represented, including new cardinals from Brazil, Nigeria, Singapore and East Timor, among other nations.
Francis has chosen 83 out of the 132 cardinals currently qualified to elect a new pope. That is nearly two-thirds of the total and precisely the percentage needed for any proposed name to pass.
The pope in the past few months has relied on a wheelchair due to knee pain, which he has said is inoperable. He also has sciatica, a chronic nerve condition that causes pain in his hip.
New cardinals are always scrutinized by Vatican observers for clues as to the future direction of the church and its 1.3 billion faithful.
However, experts have said that cardinals named by one pope do not necessarily choose successors in their likeness.
The Argentine pontiff has this year completed a major reform of the Vatican’s powerful governing body, the Roman Curia, which makes attracting new converts to Catholicism a priority.
In keeping with his focus on making the church more inclusive, transparent and responsive to the needs of the poor and marginalized, Francis has chosen two Africans and five Asians, including two cardinals who hail from India.
Vatican expert Bernard Lecomte said that the pope’s choices are “representative of the church today, with a large spot for the southern hemisphere,” where 80 percent of the world’s Catholics live.
Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, the archbishop of Dili, became the first cardinal of East Timor, an overwhelmingly Catholic nation in Southeast Asia.
The pope has also felt free to bypass the archbishops of major cities to choose those from less powerful seats, such as Robert McElroy, the 68-year-old bishop of San Diego, California. McElroy has supported gay Catholics and criticized moves to deny Communion to US politicians — such as US President Joe Biden — who support legalized abortion.
The pope also created the youngest cardinal in the world, 48-year-old Italian missionary Giorgio Marengo, who works in Mongolia.
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