Pope Francis Names 19 New Cardinals

There are no Americans among the 19 new cardinals who will join their brother cardinals in Rome on February 22, the Feast of the Chair of Peter, for a Consistory.     


After the Sunday Angelus on January 12, Pope Francis announced the names of nineteen bishops from around the world whom he'd selected to receive the red hat. 

Of the 19 new cardinals, sixteen are under 80 years of age and thus would be eligible to vote in a Conclave for a new pope.  The number of eligible voters is now 121--one higher than the traditional 120 votes.  However, among the cardinals of voting age is disgraced Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who resigned as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh last March, then went into exile following accusations of sexual impropriety.  Cardinal O'Brien is not expected to participate in the upcoming Consistory.

Some of the new cardinals seemed to be drawn from smaller and poorer nations. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the pope’s selection of candidates from Haiti and Burkino Faso, which are among the world’s poorest nations, reflects Francis’ attention to the destitute as a core part of the church’s mission.

From the Vatican's website, Pope Francis' announcement regarding the full list of new cardinals:

As was previously announced, on February 22, the Feast of the Chair of Peter, I will have the joy of holding a Consistory, during which I will name 16 new Cardinals, who, coming from 12 countries from every part of the world, represent the deep ecclesial relationship between the Church of Rome and the other Churches throughout the world.

The following day [February 23] I will preside at a solemn concelebration with the new Cardinals, while on February 20 and 21 I will hold a Consistory with all the Cardinals to reflect on the theme of the family.

Here are the names of the new Cardinals:

Pietro Parolin, Titular Archbishop of Acquapendente, Secretary of State

Lorenzo Baldisseri, Titular Archbishop of Diocleziana, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.   

Gerhard Ludwig Műller, Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Regensburg, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Beniamino Stella, Titular Archbishop of Midila, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.   

Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster (Great Britain).

Leopoldo José Brenes Solórzano, Archbishop of Managua (Nicaragua).   

Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Québec (Canada).

Jean-Pierre Kutwa, Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast).   

Orani João Tempesta, O.Cist., Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Gualtiero Bassetti, Archbishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve (Italy).   

Mario Aurelio Poli, Archbishop of Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Andrew Yeom Soo jung, Archbishop of Seoul (Korea).   

Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, S.D.B., Archbishop of Santiago del Cile (Chile).

Philippe Nakellentuba Ouédraogo, Archbishop of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I., Archbishop of Cotabato (Philippines).

Chibly Langlois, Bishop of Les Cayes (Haïti).

Together with them, I will join to the Members of the College of Cardinals three Archbishops emeriti distinguished for their service to the Holy See and to the Church.

They are:

Loris Francesco Capovilla, Titular Archbishop of Mesembria.

Fernando Sebastián Aguilar, C.M.F., Archbishop emeritus of Pamplona.

Kelvin Edward Felix, Archbishop emeritus of Castries.

Let us pray for the new Cardinals, that vested in the virtues and the sentiments of the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd, they might be able to help more effectively the Bishop of Rome in his service to the universal Church.