Fourteen new cardinals have been named by Pope Francis.
The new cardinals include prelates based in Madagascar, Peru, Mexico and Japan as well as Iraq and Pakistan, where Christians are a vulnerable minority.
“The countries of provenance express the universality of the church, which continues to announce the merciful love of God to all men on Earth,” Francis said when he made his announcement.
Francis announced the names of the new cardinals from a Vatican palace window to pilgrims and tourists gathered in St Peter’s Square.
Eleven of the new cardinals will be eligible to cast ballots in the secret conclave to elect Francis’ successor, provided they are still under the age of 80.
This is the fifth time Francis has selected new cardinals since he was elected pontiff in 2013.
The new Cardinals are:
His Beatitude Louis Raphaël I Sako – Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon
His Excellency Luis Ladaria –Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
His Excellency Angelo De Donatis – Vicar General of Rome
His Excellency Giovanni Angelo Becciu – Substitute of the Secretary of State and Special Delegate for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
His Excellency Konrad Krajewski – Almoner of the Office of Papal Charities
His Excellency Joseph Coutts – Archbishop of Karachi
His Excellency António dos Santos Marto – Bishop of Leiria-Fátima
His Excellency Pedro Barreto – Archbishop of Huancayo
His Excellency Desiré Tsarahazana – Archbishop of Toamasina
His Excellency Giuseppe Petrocchi – Archbishop of L’Aquila
His Excellency Thomas Aquinas Manyo – Archbishop of Osaka
His Excellency Sergio Obeso Rivera – Emeritus Archbishop of Xalapa
His Excellency Toribio Ticona Porco – Emeritus Bishop of Corocoro
Reverend Father Aquilino Bocos Merino – member of the Claretian order
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