Pope Francis announced at the Angelus on Sunday, October 6, that he will create 21 new cardinals, including the archbishops of Tehran, Tokyo, and Toronto, at a consistory on December 8th. 

Announcement of New Cardinals Reflects the Universality of the Church 

“I am pleased to announce,” he said, “that on December 8th, I will hold a consistory for the appointment of new cardinals. Their origin reflects the universality of the Church, that continues to announce God's merciful love to all people.” The 87-year-old pope made the announcement from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square after the Angelus prayer on October 6. 

A Focus on Global Representation in the College of Cardinals 

The new cardinal-designates highlight the pope’s focus on the global peripheries, with appointees from countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and Serbia. Notably, aside from a few Italians, only two new cardinals—Dominican preacher Timothy Radcliffe, former master general of the Dominican order, and Archbishop Francis Leo of Toronto—hail from the West. This underscores Francis’ ongoing effort to shift the Church’s leadership from being primarily Western to more global. 

The College of Cardinals After the December Consistory 

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has created 142 cardinals from 70 countries across nine consistories. The most recent was held on September 30, 2023. Fifteen members of the College of Cardinals have turned 80 since the last consistory, losing their right to vote in a future papal election. Following the December consistory, the College of Cardinals will have 141 electors, 111 of whom—79%—have been appointed by Pope Francis, barring any unforeseen deaths. 

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Adapted by Jacob Stein