Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, together with prelates based mostly in Jerusalem and Hong Kong

Pope Francis on Sunday introduced he has chosen 21 new cardinals, together with prelates from Jerusalem and Hong Kong — locations the place Catholics are a small minority — as he continues to go away his mark on the physique of churchmen who will choose his successor.

The pope introduced his picks throughout his customary weekly look to the general public in St. Peter’s Sq., saying the ceremony to formally set up the churchmen as cardinals will probably be held on Sept. 30.

Amongst these tapped are a number of prelates holding or about to imagine main Vatican posts, together with the archbishop from La Plata, Argentina, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, whom the pope simply named to guide the Holy See’s highly effective workplace for making certain doctrinal orthodoxy and overseeing processing of allegations of sexual abuse in opposition to clergy worldwide.

The brand new cardinals additionally embrace Hong Kong Bishop Stephen Sau-yan Chow and the Vatican’s high official within the Center East, Monsignor Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

 
These two churchmen information flocks in geopolitical areas of eager concern to the Vatican.

On Sunday, in remarks previous his studying out of the checklist of recent cardinals, Pope Francis expressed hope that Israeli and Palestinian authorities would take up “direct dialogue” to finish the “spiral of violence” – a reference to latest lethal clashes.

For many years, the Vatican and China have skilled tensions alternating with enchancment of relations over the Communist-led nation’s insistence that it has the best to nominate bishops and the jailing of monks who professed loyalty to the pope.

Cardinals function advisers to the pontiff on issues of educating and administration, together with the Vatican’s scandal-plagued funds. However their most important responsibility is gathering in a secret conclave to elect the subsequent pontiff. Francis has named quite a few batches of recent cardinals in his 10-year papacy. Which means, more and more, the boys who will vote for whoever succeeds him, within the occasion of his resignation or demise, are churchmen supportive of his values, priorities and views.

Different churchmen chosen to obtain the cardinal pink embrace these from Cape City, South Africa; Juba, South Sudan, which the pope visited earlier this 12 months on a pilgrimage; Penang, Malaysia; and Lodz, Poland.

Eighteen of the 21 new cardinals are youthful than 80 and can be eligible to vote in a conclave. 

The 86-year-old pontiff was hospitalized final month after present process stomach surgical procedure, with the surgeon who carried out the operation saying Francis “will probably be in a position (to hold out his duties) higher than earlier than as a result of he not could have the discomfort.”

Francis is scheduled to move to Portugal in the beginning of August and Mongolia on the finish of that month.