On Saturday, Pope Francis will elevate 21 clergymen from various parts of the world to the rank of cardinal, and most of them may eventually participate in the election of his successor. The selection of these new cardinals, often referred to as the “Princes of the Church,” includes diplomats, close advisers, and administrators and is closely observed as an indicator of the future direction of the Catholic Church. It’s possible that one of these new cardinals could become the next Pope after 86-year-old Pope Francis, who has mentioned the possibility of resigning but hasn’t made a decision yet.
The ceremony, known as a consistory, is the ninth of its kind since Francis was elected pope in 2013. Throughout his papacy, he has aimed to create a more inclusive and universal Church by selecting cardinals from regions beyond Europe, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to fill the Church’s highest ranks. The ceremony will take place at 10:00 am in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where the new cardinals will kneel before the Pope to receive the symbols of their office: a scarlet four-cornered cap known as a biretta and a cardinal’s ring.
Of the 21 new cardinals, 18 are under the age of 80, making them eligible to vote as “cardinal electors” in the next conclave, where the next Pope will be chosen. Francis has appointed a significant proportion of the cardinal-electors, and this has led to speculation that the future spiritual leader of the Catholic Church may continue to promote the same values of tolerance, compassion for the poor, and attention to marginalized communities.
The selection of these new cardinals reflects Pope Francis’s focus on the peripheries of the Catholic world, where the Church is growing, and his departure from the tradition of promoting archbishops of powerful dioceses. Some of these cardinals have experience in regions where the Holy See hopes to play a diplomatic role, and they include the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, and top administrators in the Curia.
This consistory represents another step by Pope Francis to shape the future direction of the Catholic Church and prioritize the voices and perspectives of clergy from diverse regions around the world.