Pope Francis announced today, October 6, that he will create 21 new cardinals on December 8, 20 of whom will be eligible to vote for a new pope. Among them are Frank Leo, archbishop of Toronto, Canada; Timothy Radcliffe, former master of the Dominicans from England; George Jacob Koovakad, the Indian-born organizer of papal trips; and Dominique Joseph Mathieu, the Belgian-born bishop of Teheran-Ispahan, Iran.
This will be Pope Francis’ tenth consistory, since becoming pope in March 2013. The cardinals-elect come from 18 countries and all continents. Five of the new cardinals come from Latin America, four from Asia, seven from Europe (including four from Italy), two from Africa,
At the time of the announcement, the College of Cardinals had 235 members from all continents and 90 countries. However, only 122 of these cardinals are currently under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in the next conclave. Francis has created 92 of the 122 cardinal-electors, accounting for 73.6 percent. In contrast, Pope Benedict XVI had appointed 24 electors, while Pope John Paul II appointed six.
By the time of the December 8 consistory, one cardinal will have turned 80 and lost the right to vote, leaving 121 electors—one more than the limit of 120 set by Paul VI and upheld by his successors. Fourteen of those electors—including seven Europeans and seven appointed by Francis—will turn 80 between the consistory and the end of 2025.
With the addition of 20 new electors on December 8, Pope Francis will bring the total number of cardinals with the right to vote in a papal conclave to 141.
According to Vatican statistics, by the December 8 consistory, Pope Francis will increase the total number of cardinals eligible to vote in a papal conclave to 141. Of these, six will have been created by John Paul II, 24 by Benedict XVI, and 111 by Francis. This means that Francis will have appointed nearly 79 percent of the cardinals that could enter a conclave. A candidate needs two-thirds of the vote to be elected pope.
If a conclave were to take place immediately after the Dec. 8 consistory, the geographical breakdown of the 141 electors would be as follows: Europe would have 56 electors, including 16 Italians; North America would have 14 electors, with 10 from the U.S.A. and four from Canada; Latin America would contribute 25 electors; Africa would have 17 electors; Asia would include 26 electors, with one from Iran; and Oceania would have three electors.
Since becoming pope, Francis has employed several criteria in his selection of cardinals. One of the primary focuses is universality, aimed at including as many countries as possible. He emphasizes special attention to the peripheries and nations that have never had a cardinal before, as well as those facing conflict or extreme poverty.
Another significant criterion is to reduce the number of Europeans, and specifically Italians in the College of Cardinals. He has made notable progress in this area, lowering the number of Italians from 28 in the 2013 conclave to 16 on Dec. 8, and decreasing the number of Europeans from 60 in the 2013 conclave to 56 on Dec. 8.
Francis has chosen to break with the tradition—often exaggerated in Italy—whereby bishops of certain prominent sees—usually those in large cities—typically receive the red hat automatically. He has moved away from this practice in Italy, the United States, and several other regions, reflecting a commitment to a more equitable approach in selecting cardinals.
The new cardinals-elect are:
- Angelo Acerbi, (Italy), Apostolic Nuncio. (He is not a cardinal-elector as he was born in 1925)
- Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattassoglio, archbishop of Lima (Peru).
- Vicente Bokalic Iglic, C.M., archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Primate of Argentina).
- Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., archbishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador).
- Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib , archbishop of Santiago de Chile (Chile).
- Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D., archbishop of Tokyo (Japan).
- Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, bishop of Kalookan (Philippines).
- Ladislav Nemet, S.V.D., archbishop of Beograd -Smederevo, (Serbia).
- Jaime Spengler, O.F.M., archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brazil).
- Ignace Bessi Dogbo, archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast). (Born in France)
- Jean-Paul Vesco, O.P., archbishop of Alger (Algeria).
- Bruno Syukur, O.F.M., bishop of Bogor (Indonesia).
- Dominique Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv., archbishop of Teheran-Ispahan (Iran). (Born in Belgium)
- Roberto Repole, archbishop of Turin (Italia).
- Baldassare Reina, auxiliary bishop of Rome, now becomes vicar-general.
- Francis Leo, archbishop of Toronto (Canada).
- Rolandas Makrickas (Lithuania), coadjutor archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Mary Major.
- Mykola Bychok, C.Ss.R. (Ukraine), bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukraines.
- Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, O.P., theologian
- Fabio Baggio, C.S., under-secretary for the section of migrants and refugees at the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.
- George Jacob Koovakad (India), official of the Secretariat of State, organizer of the papal journeys.
