Source: Associated Press
By FRANCES D’EMILIO
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday revealed his latest picks to be cardinals in the Catholic Church, including his chief aide for helping the poor in Rome and prelates based in Iraq and Pakistan, where Christians are a vulnerable minority.
“I am happy to announce that on June 29, I will hold a consistory to make 14 new cardinals,” Francis said in surprise remarks to pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s weekly greetings from a Vatican palace window.
Eleven of the men tapped for the honor would be eligible to cast ballots in the secret conclave that would someday select Francis’ successor, assuming they don’t exceed the voting age limit of 80 by the time a new pope must be elected.
The latest group is the fifth batch of churchmen chosen by Francis to become cardinals since he was a cardinal from Buenos Aires elected pontiff by his peers in 2013.
Categories: Europe, Pope Francis, The Muslim Times, Vatican City State