Pope Francis appoints 80% of cardinal electors and strengthens his influence over the future of the Catholic Church

He Pope FrancisAbout to turn 88, Strengthens its influence on the future of the Catholic Church After last Sunday’s announcement about Creation of 21 new cardinalsamong them, 20 will be under the age of 80, which allows them to become voters at the next conventionPlans were made for the final election of a successor to the Argentine Pontiff.

With this announcement, which will be made official on December 8th. Francis will have named about 80% of the 141 cardinals who will run to elect the next PopeOf this total, six were appointed John Paul II24 per benedict xvi and 111 by the current Pope.

Argento, who took over in 2013 following the historic resignation of Benedict XVI, has left open the possibility of following his example and eventually stepping down.

francisco printed a Accelerating appointment of Cardinals compared to its predecessors. During his pontificate, An average of more than 11 cardinal electors are appointed per year.compared to nine per year benedict xvi and eighth annual John Paul IIWho had one of the longest tenures as Pope in history.

with new appointments College of Cardinals not only increases in numberBut Its average age decreases from 71 to 69 years.Among the youngest bishops, Australian Mykola Bychok (44 years old), Lithuanian Rolandas Makrikus (52) and Canadian Francis Leo (53) stand out, as well as Italians Baldassare Riina (53), Roberto Repole (57) and others. Fabio Baggio (59).

A notable feature of the new appointments is greater geographic representationnew cardinals join Bishops from areas such as Iran, Indonesia and JapanWho The number of countries represented has increased from 89 to 94.However, Europe Despite the lack of loyalists in the region, it remains the continent where most cardinals are associated.

Meanwhile, Italy continues to lead in the number of cardinals with five new bishopsHowever, its influence has diminished, increasing from 28 electors in the conclave that elected Francisco to 16 currently. The United States, Brazil and Spain remain the countries with the largest representation, with 10, seven and another seven cardinals respectively.

Among future cardinals, five Latin Americans stand out: Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo Matasoglio; Santiago de Chile, Fernando Natalio Chomali Poor; Primate of Santiago del Estero, Vicente Bokalík Iglik, Argentina; of Guayaquil, Gerardo Luis Cabrera Herrera; and the Brazilian Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Jaime Spengler.

The Argentine Pontiff, always interested in the “peripheries” of the world, assured that the election of these new cardinals “Expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God’s merciful love for all human beings on earth.”

For this reason, among the new cardinals will be the Archbishop of Tokyo, Tarsius Isao Kikuchiof Avizan in Ivory Coast, ignes bessie dogboof Algiers, Jean-Paul Vescoone from Indonesia Bogor Pascalis Bruno Sykurfrom tehran, Dominic Joseph Matthewsfrom toronto, francis leo or from belgrade, Ladislav Nemet.

Furthermore, the Philippine Bishop of Caloocan, Pablo Virgilio Siongco DavidArchbishop of the Italian city of Turin, Roberto RepolAuxiliary Bishop of Rome, Badasare RenaHigh priest of the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria la Mayor, rolandus macaricusand Bishop of Melbourne’s Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Ukrainians, Mykola Bychok.

as indicated Objective, The recent changes come amid ideological tensions within the churchPublication of document fiducia supplierFrom the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Controversy has arisen by interpreting this to legalize the blessing of same-sex couples.to find Resistance among some conservative sectorsEspecially in Africa.

Prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal of Argentina Victor Manuel FernandezFrancisco, has identified as progressive, which has fueled controversy, as highlighted by the above media.

another point of friction Synod of SynodAn initiative that began in 2021 and will end in 2024 aims to make the church more participatory and horizontal. The proposal has raised skepticism among more traditional sectorsSpecifically adhering to the suggestion that topics such as sexuality and marriage should be viewed from a perspective based on the subjective experiences of believers, rather than imposing “preconceived objective truths”.

As Francis enters his twelfth year as head of the Catholic Church, his influence on the choice of his successor becomes clear: Four out of every five cardinals attending the next conclave will receive a hat and ring from his hands.,

In this context, it seems that the Argentine Pope has laid the foundation so that his legacy and foresight will continue to mark the course of the Church in the years to come.