Pope Francis has announced the names of 21 priests who will be promoted to cardinal at the end of August. The head of the Catholic Church revealed the names to the audience in St. Peter’s Square, after the prayer “Rejoice, Queen of Heaven” today, Sunday.
Sixteen of the new cardinals will be eligible to vote at the conclave for the election of the new Pope of the Church if necessary, given that they are under 80 years old. The Ecclesiastical Council, a formal meeting of the College of Cardinals – for the admission of new members, is held on August 27.
The Pope can choose any ordained priest to join the College of Cardinals.
By creating this entity, the pope can influence the upcoming conclave and thus elect his successor as a pope is elected from among the cardinals. Following the death of Cardinal Dean Angelo Sodano on Friday, there are currently 208 cardinals alive, but as of May, only 117 of them are eligible to vote in the conclave.
There are 67 of these eligible cardinals whom Pope Francis has chosen to appoint.