At the Angelus, Francis reads the list of purples that he will present in the Consistory on December 8. Coming from all over the world, including Iran and Indonesia. The Italians also include Monsignor Reina, the new vicar of the Diocese of Rome, and the archbishop of Turin Repole. At 99 years old, Nuncio Acerbi is the oldest created cardinal
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican City
From Iran to Indonesia, from Japan to the Philippines, from the Ivory Coast to Algeria, up to Italy and also the new vicar for the Diocese of Rome. It is surprising, as has now become the case during this twelve-year pontificate, that Pope Francis read from the window of the Apostolic Palace after the Angelus today, October 6, the list of new cardinals to whom he will give the purple for them on December 8, solemnity ‘gan Smál.
Notice of the Pope
The edges of the world, those far away or where Christians are a minority, together with the great archdiocese or the personalities of the Roman Curia are intertwined in the names listed by the Pontiff, which, because of this too, is his tenth Composition , trying to reform. the face of a universal Church that embraces all latitudes.
“Their origin expresses the universality of the Church which continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all people in the world. The inclusion in the Diocese of Rome then shows the inseparable link between Peter’s Seat and the particular Churches that are scattered throughout the world.”
Cardinal of the future
The list includes the name of Monsignor Baldassare Reina announced by the Pope today, who will be the new Vicar in Rome. Therefore, he succeeds Cardinal Angelo De Donatis who was appointed as major pensioner last April. So far Reina has played the role of deputy reformer.
Among the future cardinals also Angelo Acerbi, nuncio to the five continents for half a century, at the age of 99 the oldest Cardinal created. In the same manner, the youngest member of the College of Cardinals was named Monsignor Mykola Bychok, 44 years old. Acerbi will be among the cardinals who will not vote, for reasons of age, in a possible future Conclave.
The Italian names also include the names of Roberto Repole, archbishop of Turin, theologian and among the members of the synod on the synod. So the Pope returns to give purple to a large Italian archdiocese, after it seemed for years it was an unwritten tradition.
However, there are 3 names in the Curia. First of all, Father Fabio Baggio, Scalabrinian, was Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promotion Integral Human Development and also general director and direct contact of Pope Francis for the Borgo Laudato Si’ and for the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center. Then the Archbishop appointed Monsignor Rolandas Makrickas, Lithuanian, 51 years old, extraordinary commissioner for the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in 2021. Finally, Monsignor George Koovakad, Indian, organizer of papal trips for four years.
Finally, it is worth noting the choice of Father Timothy Radcliffe, the famous Dominican theologian (80 years old in August 2025) whom Francis wanted to preach on the days of the spiritual retreat of the Synod on Synodality for two consecutive years, distinguishing. himself for the depth, originality and effectiveness of his thoughts.
Enrichment for the College of Cardinals
The last Communion of Pope Francis dates back to 30 September 2023. In previous Congresses Jorge Mario Bergoglio created 142 cardinals, of which 113 were electors. Of the other 21 cardinals, only one of them (Acerbi) is an elector: 10 are European, and 4 are Italian; 6 of them are from the American continent, 5 from South America, 4 from Asia, and one from Africa. From next December 8, the College of Cardinals will therefore have 256 members, of whom 141 will be electors and 115 non-electors.
The list
Here is the full list of future cardinals:
1. Monsignor Angelo Acerbi, apostolic nun
2. Monsignor Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, archbishop of Lima (Peru)
3. Monsignor Vicente Bokalic Kalic Iglic CM, Archbishop of Santiago del Estero (Principal of Argentina)
4. Monsignor Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM, Aacivescovo di Guayaquil (Ecuador)
5. Monsignor Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib, archbishop of Santiago de Chile (Chile)
6. Monsignor Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD, Archbishop of Tokyo (Japan)
7. Monsignor Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Bishop of Kalookan (Philippines)
8. Monsignor Ladislav Niemet, SVD, Archbishop of Belgrade-Smederevo, (Serbia)
9. Monsignor Jaime Spengler, OFM, Porto Alegre archive (Brazil).
10. Monsignor Ignatius Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop of Abidjan (Ivory Coast)
11. Monsignor Jean-Paul Bishop, OP, Archbishop of Algeria (Algeria)
12. monsignor Paskalis Bruno Syukur, OFM, vescovo in Bogor (Indonesia)
13. Monsignor Dominique Joseph Mathieu, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Tehran Ispahan (Iran)
14. Monsignor Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin (Italy)
15. Monsignor Baldassare Reina, auxiliary bishop of Rome, former vice-general and, from today, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome
16. Monsignor Francis Leo, archbishop of Toronto (Canada).
17. Monsignor Rolandas Makrickas, former coordinator of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
18. Monsignor Mykola Bychok, C.Ss.R., bishop of the Melbourne Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of the Ukrainians
19. Padre Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, OP, theologian
20. Father Fabio Baggio, CS, under secretary of the Dicastery for Promotion Integral Human Development
21. Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad, official of the Secretary of State and responsible for travel