Pope Francis has nominated a contingent of new cardinal-electors who align with his agenda on LGBT rights, synodality, climate change, migrant issues, and social justice to pave the way for a successor who will uphold his legacy.
In an unexpected move, the pontiff announced his appointees to the College of Cardinals during the Sunday Angelus at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, causing disappointment among faithful Catholics expecting a change of guard with a new eventual pope.
Exceeding the limit of 120 electors on the College of Cardinals set by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, Francis announced 20 new cardinals who will be eligible to vote in the next conclave, including a 99-year-old archbishop who has passed the age of voting.
However, both John Paul II and Benedict XVI surpassed the limit during their papacies, with John Paul II going as high as 135 in 2001.
The 87-year-old pontiff, who suffers from major health issues, already had 122 cardinal-electors as of September 28. The new additions will bring the number in the electoral college to 142.
By December 2024, when the cardinal-designates will officially receive the red hat at a consistory, two of the cardinals will have reached their 80th birthdays and so will be ineligible to vote for a new pope. Nonetheless, Francis still will have created 111 (nearly 80%) of the 140 electors.
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