Pope names 22 new cardinals

by John L Allen Jr.

Pope Benedict XVI today announced the names of 22 new cardinals, including 18 under the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote for the next pope. The list includes two Americans: Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, and Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the former archbishop of Baltimore.

The consistory, the event in which these nominees will formally enter the College of Cardinals, is set for Rome on Feb. 18-19.

Once again, Benedict’s choices are top-heavy with Italians (seven of the 18 voting cardinals), Vatican officials (ten) and Europeans (twelve). Three also come from North America, including Archbishop Thomas Collins of Toronto along with Dolan and O’Brien.

Only three of the new cardinals come from outside the West: João Bráz de Aviz, a Brazilian who heads the Vatican office for religious life; John Tong Hon, bishop of Hong Kong; and George Alencherry, archbishop of the Syro-Malabar church in India.

The following is the complete list of new cardinals announced today by the pontiff, during his Angelus address marking the Feast of the Epiphany.

18 new cardinal electors

1. Fernando Filoni (Italian), Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
2. Manuel Monteiro de Castro (Portuguese), Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary
3. Santos Abril y Castelló (Spanish) , Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major
4. Antonio Maria Vegliò (Italian), President of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Refugees
5. Giuseppe Bertello (Italian), President of the Government of the Vatican City State
6. Francesco Coccopalmerio (Italian), President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
7. João Bráz de Aviz (Brazilian), Prefect of the Congregation for Religious
8. Edwin O’Brien (American), Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
9. Domenico Calcagno (Italian), President of the Apostolic Patrimony of the Holy See
10. Giuseppe Versaldi (Italian), President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
11. George Alencherry (Indian), Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church in India
12. Thomas Collins (Canadian), Archbishop of Toronto
13. Dominik Duka (Czech), Archbishop of Prague
14. Wim Eijk (Dutch), Archbishop of Utrecht
15. Giuseppe Bettori (Italian), Archbishop of Florence
16. Timothy Dolan (American), Archbishop of New York
17. Rainer Maria Woelki (German), Archbishop of Berlin
18. John Tong Hon (Chinese), Bishop of Hong Kong

In keeping with papal custom, Benedict XVI also named four new cardinals who are already over 80 years old, and hence ineligible to take part in a future conclave. These are often called "honorary" appointments, used to recognize lifelong service to the church in some capacity.

Four honorary cardinals:

1. Archbishop Lucian Mureşan, Major Archbishop of Făgăraş şi Alba Iulia (Romanian)
2. Monsignor Julien Ries (Belgian)
3. Augustinian Fr. Prosper Grech (Maltese)
4. Jesuit Fr. Karl Becker (German)

Today’s appointments bring the total number of voting-age cardinals to 126, six more than the ceiling of 120 established by Pope Paul VI. That number should drop back down to 120 on July 26, when American Cardinal James Francis Stafford turns 80; five more cardinals will have crossed the threshold of 80 by that stage.

In terms of the Americans, the appointment of Dolan and O’Brien brings the compliment of American electors back up to 11, the same number eligible to participate in the conclave of April 2005 that elected Benedict XVI. That number will drop back down to nine by July, however, as both Stafford and retired Cardinal Edward Egan of New York will have turned 80.

Including those already over 80, the total number of American cardinals after the February consistory will rise to 18. The total number of cardinals in the world, including voting and non-voting cardinals, will be 214.

In terms of notable omissions, neither the new Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines, Luis Antonio Tagle, nor the Archbishop of Westminster in the U.K., Vincent Nichols, were on the list. In both cases, the informal rule that a new cardinal is not created until the retired cardinal of that archdiocese turns 80 may have been in force, as both of the previous incumbents won’t pass the 80 threshold until August.

Strikingly, Benedict XVI named Dolan a cardinal despite the fact that his predecessor, Egan, won’t turn 80 until April 2.

There are at least two other Americans virtually certain to become cardinals at some point, Archbishops Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and Charles Chaput of Philadelphia. In both cases, however, the informal rule cited above suggests they may have to wait a while -- retired Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia is just 76, and retired Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles is 75.0

The full list and the ages of the future cardinals is below.

-- Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; Age: 65.8

-- Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary; Age: 73.9

-- Santos Abril y Castelló, Vice-Chamberlain of the Apostolic Chamber; Age: 76.4

-- Antonio Maria Vegliò, President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People; Age: 74.0

-- Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governatorate of Vatican City State; Age: 69.4

-- Francesco Coccopalmerio, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts; Age: 73.9

-- João Bráz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Age: 64.8

-- Edwin O'Brien, Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem; Age: 72.9

-- Domenico Calcagno, President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See; Age: 69.0

-- Giuseppe Versaldi, President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See; Age: 68.6

-- George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly (Syro-Malabarese), India; Age: 66.8

-- Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Age: 65.1

-- Dominik Jaroslav Duka, O.P., Archbishop of Prague, Czech Republic; Age: 68.8

-- Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, Netherlands; Age: 58.7

-- Giuseppe Betori, Archbishop of Florence, Italy; Age: 65.0

-- Timothy Michael Dolan, Archbishop of New York; Age: 62.0

-- Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Berlin, Germany; Age: 55.5

-- John Tong Hon, Bishop of Hong Kong, China; Age: 72.5

The list of non-voting cardinals (and their ages) is below.

-- Lucian Mureşan, Major Archbishop of Făgăraş şi Alba Iulia (Romanian), Romania; Age: 80.7

-- Julien Ries, Priest of Namur {Namen}, Belgium; Age: 91.8

-- Prospero Grech, O.S.A., Priest of Order of St. Augustine; Age: 86.2

-- Karl Josef Becker, S.J., Priest of Society of Jesus; Age: 83.8

His Beatitude Mar George Cardinal Alencherry

In fact A cardinal is addressed as His Eminence ....... Cardinal .....

Recognizing the importance of the Syro-Malabar Church in the Universal Church scenario, His Holiness Mar Benedict XVI has elevated our Major Archbishop a Cardinal. It is a very pleasant news. At the same time, as far as the Syro-Malabarians are concerned, our Major Archbishop is elevated to that position. So we need not substitute the position of the Major Archbishop to Cardinal. We can continue to address him as His Beatitude. At the same time, in the common addresses we need to add this new position of Cardinal. Usually the title of Cardinal is used before the surname. Henceforth we can address our Major Archbishop, His Beatitude Mar George Cardinal Alencherry