VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis today presided over a consistory to create 21 new cardinals for the Church, with the diverse group of cardinals hailing from far-flung corners of the world and many being noted for their favorability to LGBT issues.
On December 7, Francis added a new swathe of members to the College of Cardinals, firmly cementing the predominance of his picks in the College of Cardinals.
The consistory, announced October 6 at the start of the final session of the Synod on Synodality, comprised of 20 new cardinal electors – those under the age of 80 – and one already too old to vote, namely Cardinal Angelo Acerbi who is an emeritus Apostolic Nuncio.
READ: Pope Francis names pro-LGBT Father Timothy Radcliffe among 21 new cardinals
According to the Vatican’s own statistics {which are curiously missing two voters: Cardinals Oswald Gracias and Christoph Schonborn}, this consistory serves to cement the domination of Francis-appointed cardinals in the college. There are now 255 cardinals, of whom 142 are able to vote.
By the end of 2024, with the new cardinals and with two others aging out (reaching their 80th birthday and being too old to vote in a papal conclave), Francis will have created 111 of the 140 eligible voters.
Of these 111, Benedict XVI appointed 24, and John Paul II appointed 6.
Francis’ new picks include prelates based in Japan, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Indonesia, Algeria, the Ivory Coast, and Italy.
Perhaps one of the most notable names among the new cardinals is Dominican priest Fr. Timothy Radcliffe; a former master of the Dominican Order from 1992 to 2001, his name is arguably more notorious for his promotion of LGBT issues and his key role within the recent Synod on Synodality.
READ: Many of Pope Francis’ new cardinals support his homosexual ‘blessings’ document Fiducia Supplicans
The full list is:
- Archbishop Angelo Acerbi: emeritus Apostolic Nuncio and the only one too old to vote in a conclave.
- Archbishop Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio: Archbishop of Lima, Peru.
- Archbishop Vicente Bokalic Iglic C.M.: Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, primate of Argentina.
- Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM: Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
- Archbishop Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib: Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Chile.
- Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D: Archbishop of Tokyo.
- Bishop Pablo Virgilio Siongco David: Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines.
- Archbishop Ladislav Nemet S.V.D: Archbishop of Beograd – Smederevo, Serbia.
- Archbishop Jaime Spengler O.F.M: Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo:Archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
- Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco O.P: Archbishop of Alger, Algeria.
- Bishop Mgr. Paskalis Bruno Syukur O.F.M: Bishop of Bogor, Indonesia.
- Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv.: Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan, Iran.
- Archbishop Roberto Repole: Archbishop of Turin.
- Bishop Baldassare Reina: Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, formerly Vicegerent and, as of today, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome.
- Archbishop Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto.
- Bishop Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas: Archpriest Coadjutor Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major.
- Bishop Mykola Bychok, C.S.R.: Bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians.
- Father Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, O.P..
- Father Fabio Baggio, C.S.: Under Secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development
- Mgr George Jacob Koovakad: Official of the Secretary of State, Responsible for Travel
Ascending the papal throne in March 2013, Francis has now held 10 consistories in that time and created 149 cardinals (electors and non-electors), thus effecting a signal change on the college of cardinals. Benedict XVI created 90 cardinals in his five consistories.
For each of his 10 consistories, Francis has exceeded the limit of 120 voting cardinals – a limit established by Pope John Paul II’s document Universi Dominici Gregis, something which Benedict did also on 2 occasions and John Paul II on 4 instances.
Ceremony
Addressing the cardinals before their investitute, Francis urged them to “be builders of communion and unity.” The Pope, visibly very bruised on his face after reportedly hitting his chin on a bedside table, quoted from Pope Paul VI to say that “it is our desire that everyone feel at home in the ecclesial family, that there will be no exclusion or isolation, which proves so harmful to our unity in charity, or efforts to make some prevail to the detriment of others… We must work, pray, suffer and struggle to bear witness to the Risen Christ.”
The famous scarlet red clothing cardinals receive is a symbol of their duty to shed their blood for the Catholic Faith, with the liturgy noting the cardinals “are to be fearless witnesses to Christ and His Gospel in the city of Rome and in faraway regions.” The prayer uttered as they receive the scarlet biretta reminds the Church of this duty:
To the glory of almighty God and the honor of the Apostolic See, receive the scarlet biretta as a sign of the dignity of the cardinalate, signifying your readiness to act with courage, even to the shedding of your blood, for the increase of the Christian faith, for the peace and tranquility of the people of God and for the freedom and growth of Holy Roman Church.
Kneeling before the Pope one by one, the new cardinals received from him the zucchetto, followed by the biretta, before then accepting their cardinal’s ring and the charge of a church in Rome, as is customary for every cardinal.
The cardinals recite the Creed in unison the Creed, and swear by name, to “remain faithful to Christ and His Gospel, constantly obedient to the Holy and Apostolic Roman Church, to Blessed Peter in the person of the Supreme Pontiff Francis and of his canonically elected successors.”
Their oath continues as they promise: “to preserve always by word and deed communion with the Catholic Church; to manifest to no one matters that shall have been entrusted to me to guard, and the disclosure of which could cause harm or dishonor to the Holy Church; to perform with great diligence and fidelity the tasks to which I am called in my service to the Church, according to the norms of law. So help me Almighty God.”
This correspondent was able to interview a number of the new cardinals prior to the ceremony, and the interviews will be published on LifeSite in the coming days.
