Pope Francis has announced the elevation of 21 churchmen to the esteemed position of cardinal, further imprinting his influence on the group that will eventually select his successor upon his retirement or passing. The installation ceremony, known as a consistory, is scheduled for September 30, as the 86-year-old pontiff disclosed during his midday prayer in St. Peter’s Square. This will mark the ninth consistory convened by Pope Francis since his historic election as the first Latin American pope a decade ago.
The newly appointed cardinals hail from various countries, including the United States, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Portugal. Eighteen of the 21 are below the age of 80, making them eligible to participate in a future secret conclave tasked with electing the next pope. They are referred to as cardinal electors. Following the September consistory, there will be 137 cardinal electors, approximately 73 percent of whom were handpicked by Pope Francis. This raises the likelihood that the next pope will share his vision of a more progressive and inclusive Church.
Pope Francis has also enhanced the possibility of the papacy being assumed by a cardinal from Asia or Africa, consistently appointing cardinal electors from those continents while assigning less significance to European countries compared to his predecessor. The number of additional cardinals the pope will appoint depends on the length of his tenure. After undergoing surgery for an abdominal hernia and spending nine days in the hospital last month, the pontiff is currently on the path to recovery. He has upcoming visits scheduled to Portugal from August 2 to 4 and Mongolia from August 31 to September 4.
The remaining three new cardinals, aged 80 and above, will not have voting privileges in a conclave. However, their appointments are a gesture of gratitude for their extensive service to the Church. Regardless of age, all cardinals are permitted to participate in pre-conclave meetings called General Congregations, where they contribute their opinions on the qualities they believe the younger cardinals should seek in the next pope. Cardinals hold the second-highest rank in the Church hierarchy and serve as trusted advisors to the pope. Despite their historical title as the “princes of the Church,” Pope Francis has urged them to eschew lavish lifestyles and instead embrace humility while standing in solidarity with the impoverished.
Among the new cardinals are three individuals who were recently appointed heads of significant Vatican departments. This includes Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, who now leads the Vatican’s doctrinal department. Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-Yan of Hong Kong is another notable appointment, serving as a vital connection to the Catholic Church in communist China, where the Vatican strives to improve conditions for Catholics. In April, the bishop made a visit to Beijing. Lastly, Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost, an American, has been named as the head of the Vatican department responsible for assisting the pope in selecting new bishops—a position of great influence within the Vatican.
