On October 20th Pope Benedict appointed 24 new cardinals, including 20 who will be eligible to take part in the next papal conclave. Following the death of a pope, cardinals are called upon to find a successor. The candidate chosen is usually one of the cardinals.
Four of the new cardinals are currently more than 80 years old and therefore do not have the power to elect a new pope at the next conclave.
Pope Benedict has now named about 50 of the 120 cardinals who can choose his successor, raising the possibility that the next pontiff will be a conservative in his own image.
He told some 22,000 faithful assembled for his general audience in St Peter's Square that the list "reflects the universality of the church".
The list is dominated by European clergy but there will also be cardinals from Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Egypt and Zambia.
The Cardinals will be created at a consistory to be held on November 20th, 2010, on the eve of the Solemnity of Christ the King.
No comments:
Post a Comment