Pope selects 21 additional cardinals, expanding the group of candidates to selec

In a move that demonstrates his continued resolve to change the group of churchmen who will select his successor, Pope Francis has appointed 21 new cardinals.

After remarking on the escalating tension in the Middle East and remembering the anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel, Francis, 87, made the unexpected statement.


The Belgian missionary Dominique Mathieu, the Archbishop of Tehran, is on the updated list. It is probable that Pope Francis made the decision to name a cardinal in Iran in order to advance Middle East peace and communication with Islam.

"I call on the world community to put an end to the cycle of retaliation and refrain from carrying out acts of aggression similar to the one that Iran conducted a few days ago, which can before announcing the appointment of new cardinals, the pope declared, "throw that region into an even bigger war."

"Every nation has the right to exist in security and peace, and their territory cannot be invaded or attacked. Sovereignty must be honoured and upheld by nonviolent means, such as communication and understanding, rather than hostility and violence.

Mykola Bychok, a 44-year-old Ukrainian bishop who serves the Ukrainian Greek Catholic population in Oceania from his base in Australia, was also selected by Francis. Bychok will be the youngest cardinal in church history.

Pope Francis on Friday, September 27, 2024, during a papal visit to the Royal Castle at Laeken, Laken, Brussels. Pope Francis, whose real name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is in Belgium from September 26 to 29 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the founding of the universities of KU Leuven and UCLouvain.

Throughout his papacy, Francis has changed the assembly's makeup to elect a successor who is more inclusive of the global church. He has destroyed the outdated, unwritten manual that certain dioceses' bishops (many of those in Italy) would have been created cardinals by default; instead, the periphery has received "red hats."


Bishops from Indonesia, Algeria, Japan, and the Ivory Coast are also included in the group of new cardinals that the Pope revealed on Sunday. On December 8, Francis will formally install the cardinals, which also include British theologian friar Timothy Radcliffe and Frank Leo, the archbishop of Toronto.
While all cardinals, irrespective of age, are eligible to participate in the vital pre-conclave gatherings when the characteristics of a potential pope are deliberated, only those under the age of 80 are permitted to cast ballots in papal elections. Francis has now selected the majority of the guys who will choose his successor with his most recent action.

There were 122 cardinals under the age of 80 who may cast ballots in a future conclave at the time of the pope's announcement. Although the number of such cardinals is officially limited by church law to 120, prior popes have exceeded that cap.

Cardinals hold prominent posts in the Vatican, are the pope's primary advisors, and rank second only to the pope in the hierarchy of the church. Francis has often told the cardinals that instead of acting like "princes," they should view their position as a chance to serve. The fiery red robes worn by cardinals are a symbol of their willingness to give their lives in defence of the Catholic faith.

During his address, the pope also mentioned the approaching anniversary of the October 7 attacks. He bemoaned the Middle East's "plunged into increasing suffering, with destructive military actions that continue to affect the Palestinian population" and demanded the "immediate release" of the hostages in Gaza. "Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon," he demanded.