Pope Benedict announces 22 new cardinals

Pope Benedict announces 22 new cardinals

Pope Benedict XVI announced this morning that he is to create 22 new cardinals. 18 of the new cardinals will be eligible to vote in a papal election since they are under the age of 80 while 4 are considerd honourary cardinals being age over 80.

Here is the list of the 22 cardinals-designate, in the order in which Pope Benedict XVI announced them today:

– Italian Archbishop Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, 65.

– Portuguese Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 73.

– Spanish Archbishop Santos Abril Castello, archpriest of Basilica of St. Mary Major, 76.

– Italian Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, president Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, who turns 74 February 3.

– Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, president of the commission governing Vatican City State, 69.

– Italian Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Interpreting Legislative Texts, 73.

– Brazilian Archbishop Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, 64.

– U.S. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, 72.

– Italian Archbishop Domenico Calcagno, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, who turns 69 February 3.

– Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Versaldi, president of Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, 68.

– Syro-Malabar Archbishop George Alencherry of India, 66.

– Canadian Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto, who will be 65 on January 16.

– Czech Archbishop Dominik Duka of Prague, 68.

– Dutch Archbishop Willem J. Eijk of Utrecht, 58.

– Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Betori of Florence, 64.

– U.S. Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who will turn 62 February 6

– German Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki of Berlin, 55.

– Chinese Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong, 72.

There were also four cardinals who are aged over 80 and therefore ineligible to vote in a papal conclave.

–Romanian Archbishop Lucian Muresan of Fagaras and Alba Julia, 80.

– Belgian Father Julien Ries, expert on history of religions, 91.

– Maltese Augustinian Father Prosper Grech, biblical scholar, 86.

– German Jesuit Father Karl Josef Becker, theologian, 83

Of the cardinal-electors, Pope Benedict XVI has not appointed 64 while 53 were appointed by John Paul II.