ROME. The Bishop of Hong Kong, Bishop Stephen Chow SJ (pictured), the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the former apostolic nuncio to the Court of St James, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, are among the eighteen new cardinal electors announced at the Holy Father’s Angelus address this morning in St Peter’s Square. Also among them are the controversial Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, recently appointed as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Pope Francis also named three non-electors to the Sacred College, in recognition of their long service to the Church. Most of the new cardinals – but by no means all – are prefects of dicasteries in Rome, members of the papal diplomatic corps, or incumbents of major metropolitan sees around the world. Those looking for a sign of papal support for the Church in Ukraine, however, will be disappointed to see that Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has once again been passed over.
It is the role of the College of Cardinals to elect a pope’s successor. This latest announcement comes at a time when the Holy Father’s health and his plans for the future have become a subject of increased discussion and speculation. The new cardinals will be given their red birettas in a consistory on 30 September, in the Vatican. “Let us pray for the new Cardinals,” Pope Francis said, “so that, confirming their adhesion to Christ, the merciful and faithful High Priest, they might help me in my ministry as Bishop of Rome for the good of the entire Holy People faithful to God.”
New Cardinal electors Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost OSA, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, Diplomatic Corps Archbishop Christophe Louis Yves Georges Pierre, Diplomatic Corps Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Capetown Archbishop Ángel Sixto Rossi SJ, Archbishop of Córdoba Archbishop Luis José Rueda Aparacio, Archbishop of Bogotá Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba Archbishop José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid Archbishop Protase Rugambwa, Coadjutor Archbishop of Tabora Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang Bishop Stephen Chow SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong Bishop François-Xavier Bustillo OFM Conv, Bishop of Ajaccio Bishop Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon Father Ángel Fernández Artime SDB, Rector Major of the Salesians
Non-electors Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Diplomatic Corps Archbishop Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez, Archbishop Emeritus of Cumaná Father Luis Pascual Dri OFM Cap, Confessor of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompei, Buenos Aires
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