November 8 | 
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Pope to name first set of new cardinals
Pope Francis will name his first new cardinals as leader of the Church next February, the Vatican announced last week.
It was confirmed last Thursday that Pope Francis will name new appointments early in the New Year, in time for a February 22 Consistory of Cardinals.
Cardinals are the highest-ranking clergy in the Catholic Church below the Pope, and, therefore, Pope Francis’ appointments will, ultimately, be among those who will choose his successor.
In a statement announcing the news last week, Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said that a meeting of all the existing cardinals would be held before the ceremony to elevate new cardinals, the consistory.
“Pope Francis has decided to communicate his decision to convoke February’s consistory in advance in order to facilitate the planning of other meetings involving the participation of cardinals from different parts of the world,” Fr Lombardi said.
The new appointments will also be the first cardinals to be chosen since Pope Francis formed the Council of Cardinals, a group of eight cardinals from around the world tasked with reviewing ways to reform the Church.
By February, the number of cardinal electors—those under 80 years of age—will have dropped from the normal ceiling of 120 to 106. The Holy Father is, therefore, expected to appoint at least 14 new cardinals at his first consistory.
Although Fr Lombardi did not speculate on the names of the new appointees, Vatican insiders have pointed to some obvious nominations, including three possible Latin Americans: the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Orani Joao Tempesta; the Archbishop of Santiago, Chile, Riccardo Andrello; and Pope Francis’ own successor in Buenos Aires, Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli.
South of the border, Faithful will be speculating whether or not Archbishop Vincent Nichols, leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, will receive a ‘red hat,’ while the newly appointed Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, and the Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, German Archbishop Gerhard Müller will also be expected to be amongst the nominees.
—Vatican denies female cardinals are pending, see November 8 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.
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