Benedict XVI names 15 new Cardinals

[tjwmason]

BENEDICT XVI NAMES 15 NEW CARDINALS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2006 (VIS) - After the general audience today, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Benedict XVI announced the names of 15 prelates who will be created cardinals in a concistory due to be held on March 24.

Following the March 24 concistory, the first of his pontificate, the College of Cardinals will number 193 members of whom 120, under the age of 80, will be electors.

In announcing the names, the Holy Father affirmed that today's feast is "a particularly appropriate day" to announce the concistory because cardinals "have the duty to help and support Peter's Successor in carrying out the apostolic task entrusted to him in the service of the Church."

"The cardinals," Benedict XVI went on, "constitute a sort of Senate around the Pope upon which he relies in carrying out the duties associated with his ministry as 'permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion'."

The Holy Father also made it clear that with the new appointments he wished "to make up the number of 120 cardinal electors, as established by Pope Paul VI."

Given below is a list of the new cardinal electors:

- Archbishop William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Archbishop Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

- Archbishop Agostino Vallini, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

- Archbishop Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino of Caracas, Venezuela.

- Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales of Manila, Philippines.

- Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, France.

- Archbishop Antonio Canizares Llovera of Toledo, Spain.

- Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, Korea.

- Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., of Boston, U.S.A.

- Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland.

- Archbishop Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy.

- Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B. of Hong Kong, China

The Pope then announced that he had also decided to elevate to the dignity of cardinal "three prelates over the age of 80, in consideration of the service they have rendered to the Church with exemplary faithfulness and admirable dedication." They are:

- Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls.

- Archbishop Peter Poreku Dery, emeritus of Tamale, Ghana.

- Fr. Albert Vanhoye S.J., formerly rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

The new cardinals, said the Pope, "well reflect the universality of the Church. In fact, they come from various parts of the world and undertake different duties in the service of the People of God. I invite you to raise a special prayer to the Lord for them, that He may concede them the grace necessary to carry out their mission with generosity."

In closing, the Holy Father expressed his intention to preside at a concelebration with the new Cardinals on the day following the concistory, March 25 and Solemnity of the Annunciation. "For that occasion I will invite all members of the College of Cardinals, with whom I also intend to hold a meeting of reflection and prayer on March 23," the day prior to the concistory.
AC/CONCISTORY CARDINALS/... VIS 060222 (540)

http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/a2_en.htm

Archbishop Levada was obvious as head of the C.D.F., as was Archbishop Dziwisz (formerly secretary to John Paul II, now Archbishop of Krakov). Archbishop O'Malley was likely, Boston usually getting the red-hat. The B.B.C. opines that the Bishop of Hong Kong was to send a message about religious freedom in China. I don't know anything about the others.

[CBHagman]

1. Sean O'Malley.

Thanks for the update!

Here's O'Malley. I am glad he's among them.

[tjwmason]

2. Beforehand I had heard some doubt as to whether he would get in.

The Archbishop of Boston is usually made Cardinal - but Rome is always wary of overweighting towards one country, many thought that Sean O'Malley wouldn't get in until the unlamented Cardinal Law died (or at least passed the voting age of 80).

I haven't heard much about the new Archbishop - but from the sounds of your response he's doing some good in Boston.

[CBHagman]

3. He arrived in a tumultuous time.

When he was sent to Boston, I asked a friend of mine with more than the average inside knowledge about the church hierarchy what she thought of O'Malley. I can't recall if she used the word "mensch," but her impression of him was quite favorable.

I believe that here in DC he is remembered as a friend of the working poor and of the Hispanic community.

A bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_O%27Malley