Pope Francis announces Consistory for creation of 21 new Cardinals

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis announced after his Sunday Angelus that he would hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals on 8 December 2024, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, in the Vatican.

The Consistory, set to take place with representatives from all over the world, will fall before the opening of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope and after the conclusion of the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican. Pope Francis' most recent consistory to create new Cardinals had taken place ahead of the First Session of the Synod on Synodality on 30 September 2023.

The Holy Father pointed out that the Cardinal-elects hail from around the world.

"Their origins," he said, "expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God's merciful love to all people on earth. Their inclusion in the Diocese of Rome also manifests the inseparable bond between the See of Peter and the particular Churches spread throughout the world."

Moreover, he asked the faithful to pray for the future Cardinals.

"Let's pray for the new Cardinals, that by confirming their adherence to Christ, the merciful and faithful High Priest, they may help me in my ministry as Bishop of Rome for the good of all God's holy people."

With the upcoming Consistory, according to today's data, the College of Cardinals will enlarge to 256 Cardinals, 141 of whom will be Cardinal electors.

List of the Future Cardinals

Here is a list of the future Cardinals:

1. H.E. Msgr. Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio

2. H.E. Mgr. Carlos Gustavo CASTILLO MATTASOGLIO Archbishop of Lima (Peru)

3. H.E. Msgr. Vicente BOKALIC IGLIC C.M., Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Primate of Argentina).

4. H.E. Msgr. Luis Gerardo CABRERA HERRERA, O.F.M., Archbishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador).

5. H.E. Msgr. Fernando Natalio CHOMALÍ GARIB Archbishop of Santiago de Chile (Chile).

6. Archbishop Tarcisio Isao KIKUCHI, S.V.D., Archbishop of Tokyo (Japan).

7. H.E. Msgr. Pablo Virgilio SIONGCO DAVID, Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines).

8. H. E. Msgr. Ladislav NEMET, S.V.D., Archbishop of Beograd -Smederevo, (Serbia).

9. H.E. Msgr. Jaime SPENGLER, O.F.M., Archbishop of Porto Alegre (Brasil).

10. H.E. Mgr Ignace BESSI DOGBO, Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast).

11. H.E. Mgr Jean-Paul VESCO, O.P., Archbishop of Alger (Algeria).

12. H.E. Mgr. Paskalis Bruno SYUKUR, O.F.M., Bishop of Bogor (Indonesia).

13. H. E. Msgr. Dominique Joseph MATHIEU, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan (Iran).

14. H.E. Msgr. Roberto REPOLE, Archbishop of Turin (Italy).

15. H.E. Msgr. Baldassare REINA, Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, formerly Vice-gerent and, as of today, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome.

16. H.E. Msgr. Francis LEO, Archbishop of Toronto (Canada).

17. H.E. Msgr. Rolandas MAKRICKAS, Archpriest Coadjutor Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major.

18. H.E. Mgr Mykola BYCHOK, C.S.R., Bishop of the Eparchy Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians

19. R.P. Timothy Peter Joseph RADCLIFFE, OP, theologian

20. R. P. Fabio BAGGIO, C.S., Under Secretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development

21. Mgr George Jacob KOOVAKAD, Official of the Secretary of State, Responsible for Travel