Pope to create new cardinals in November?

Rome, Italy, Aug 14, 2007 / 04:50 am

According to the Italian daily Il Messaggero, Pope Benedict XVI may convene a consistory in November to create 17 new cardinals.

The story in the Italian newspaper states the Pope could announce the second consistory of his pontificate after the Wednesday Audience on October 24.   It says the Pontiff intends to create 17 new cardinals under the age of 80—which would bring the total number of cardinal-electors back up to 120.  After the death of the retired Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger, the College of Cardinals is left with 182 members, of which 105 are under the age of 80.  In October, the former Vatican Secretary of State and current Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and American Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, will both turn 80.

According to the story in Il Messaggero, the possible candidates to receive the red hat include Archbishop Odilo Scherer of Sao Paulo (Brazil), Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington D.C., Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw and Archbishop Angelo Baganasco of Genoa.

By tradition red hats should go to Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, current Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, Archbishop Angelo Comastri, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Peter, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, governor of the Vatican City State, and Archbishop Raffaele Farina, head of the Vatican Library.  A red hat should also by tradition go to American Archbishop John Foley, current Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

According to Il Messaggero, the list of potential cardinals would also include Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Archbishop Paul Joseph Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.