Catholic World News

Pope names 17 new cardinals

October 10, 2016

Pope Francis announced that he will create 17 new cardinals on November 19, the day before the Solemnity of Christ the King and the close of the extraordinary jubilee year of mercy.

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The Pope made the announcement during his October 9 Angelus address.

Thirteen of the newly named cardinals are under 80 and are thus eligible to take part in a papal election:

Archbishop Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio in Syria, which the Pope described as a “beloved and martyred” nation
Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui (Central African Republic)
Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Madrid
Archbishop Sérgio da Rocha of Brasilia
Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago
Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka (Bangladesh)
Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo of Mérida (Venezuela)
Archbishop Jozef De Kesel of Mechelen-Brussels (Belgium)
Archbishop Maurice Piat of Port-Louis (Mauritius)
Archbishop Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family, and Life
Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Tlalnepantla (Mexico)
Archbishop John Ribat of Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)
Archbishop Joseph Tobin of Indianapolis

In addition, the Pope announced that he will name an additional four cardinals—three of bishops emeriti distinguished for their “pastoral service,” and one priest distinguished for his “clear Christian witness” as he suffered under Albania’s Communist regime.

The four are:

Archbishop Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop Emeritus of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Archbishop Renato Corti, Archbishop Emeritus of Novara, Italy
Archbishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai, Bishop Emeritus of Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho
Father Ernest Simoni, who spent nearly 30 years in forced-labor camps in Albania during the Communist regime there

There are currently 211 members of the College of Cardinals, 111 of whom are under 80 are thus eligible to elect a Pope in a conclave. Three of the 111 will turn 80 before the November 19 consistory, and a fourth will turn 80 on November 28.

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Show 4 Comments? (Hidden)Hide Comments

Posted by: feedback - Oct. 11, 2016 11:43 PM ET USA
Archbishop Cupich is making spectacular career in the Church. With his uninspiring past record it is puzzling.
Posted by: unum - Oct. 11, 2016 9:22 AM ET USA
U.S. appointments are very interesting. Is this a message from the Holy Father to the USCCB that some things are more important than fund drives and expanding the size of their organizations?
Posted by: Ken - Oct. 10, 2016 9:15 PM ET USA
Could you please comment on the mainstream press report that most of these individuals are very progressive and this is the first serious effort by the Pope to change the character and direction of the Church. They also report that the Pope passed over American bishops in positions that are normally used to develop the next American cardinals.
Posted by: Foundas - Oct. 10, 2016 7:49 PM ET USA
Cupich would not be my choice. He is very liberal and very progressive. He is not a good friend of those Pro-life Catholics.