CNN —Pope Francis has chosen 21 new cardinals in a move that once again shows his determination to reshape the group of churchmen who will elect his successor.
Also among the new cardinals announced by the pope on Sunday are bishops from Indonesia, Algeria, Japan and the Ivory Coast.
At the time of the pope’s announcement, there were 122 cardinals under 80 and able to vote in a future conclave.
Church law technically limits the number of such cardinals to 120, but previous popes have also gone over that number.
Cardinals are second only to the pope in the church hierarchy, hold senior positions in the Vatican and act as the pope’s main advisers.
Persons:
Pope Francis, Francis, Dominique Mathieu, Francis ’, ” Francis, Mykola Bychok, Frank Leo, Timothy Radcliffe, ”
Organizations:
CNN, Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Cardinals
Locations:
Israel, Belgian, Iran, Australia, Ukrainian, Oceania, Italy, Indonesia, Algeria, Japan, Ivory Coast, Toronto, British, Gaza, Lebanon