Fr
Lombardi: Note on new Cardinals
(Vatican Radio) Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, head of the Holy
See Press Office, has published the following "notes" on the new
Cardinals, whose names were announced by Pope Francis at the Angelus on Sunday:
With respect to the
number of 120 electors, there were 12 places “open” in the College today or in
the coming months. The Pope has slightly exceeded this number, but remained
very close to it, such that it is substantially respected.
The most evident
criteria is evidently that of universality. Fourteen different
countries are represented, including some that do not currently have a
Cardinal, and some that have never had one. If the retired Archbishops and
Bishops are counted, eighteen countries are represented. There are no new
Cardinals from North America (the USA or Canada) because they already have a
significant number, and that number has remained stable during the past year.
(There is a new Mexican Cardinal).
The presence of
countries that have never had a Cardinal (Capo Verde, Tonga, Myanmar) is
noteworthy. These countries have ecclesial communities that are small or that
represent a minority within their country. (The Bishop of Tonga is the
President of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific; the Diocese of Santiago
de Cabo Verde is one of the most ancient African Dioceses; the Diocese of
Morelia in Mexico is in a region troubled by violence.)
The fact that only one of the new Cardinals is from the Roman Curia is also notable, while “Roman” Cardinals remain about a quarter
of the electors. It is evident that the Pope intends to consider the posts of
Prefects of the Congregations and of some other very important institutions
within the Curia – as, in this case, the Tribunal of the Signatura – as
Cardinalatial posts.
The new nominations
confirm that the Pope is not bound to the
traditions of the “Cardinalatial Sees” – which were motivated by historical reasons in different
countries – in which the Cardinalate was considered almost “automatically”
connected to such sees. Instead, we have several nominations of Archbishops and
Bishops of sees that in the past have not had a Cardinal. This applies, for
example, to Italy, Spain, Mexico, Panama…
With regard to the
retired nominees, the words of the Pope in his brief introduction should be
noted: “They
represent so many Bishops who, with the same
pastoral solicitude” have served as pastors of Dioceses, but also in the Curia
and in the diplomatic service. The cardinalatial nominations are intended,
then, as a recognition given symbolically to some, but recognizing the merits
of all.
The youngest of the
new Cardinals is Archbishop Tafi of Tonga (b. 1961), who will become the
youngest member of the College of Cardinals.
The oldest is
Archbishop Pimiento Rodriguez, Archbishop emeritus of Manizales (b. 1919).
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