The cardinal electors — the prelates under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope — currently represent 57 nations; after the consistory to create new cardinals, the group will bring together men from 60 countries. Otherwise, the appointments have a very “Francis” look about them in that he has named cardinals from the “periphery”, namely the Central African Republic, Mauritius, Lesotho, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil. Significantly, Francis said the current Vatican ambassador in Syria, Italian Archbishop Mario Zenari, will be elevated but remain in his post to show the church’s concern for “beloved and martyred Syria”— an allusion to the devastating civil war there. Three are from the United States: Archbishop Blase Cupich of Chicago, Archbishop William Tobin of Indianapolis and Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas, who was recently appointed to head a new Vatican department on family and life issues. Francis, according to Reuters, making the surprise announcement during his weekly Sunday address, said the men came from five continents and that the ceremony to elevate them, known as a consistory, would be held on Nov. 19. The governors were met with open challenges from bishops, including Tobin.
Pope Francis announces the upcoming creation of 17 new Cardinals; 13 of them will be under the age of 80 and thus able to vote in a future papal conclave to select the new Pope.