Pope to appoint new cardinals in Rome

Pope Francis is due to appoint 19 new cardinals at a ceremony in Rome – the first such appointments of his papacy.

Cardinals are the most senior Roman Catholic clergymen below the pontiff.Correspondents says the inclusion of prelates from places like Haiti and Burkina Faso reflects the Argentine Pope’s commitment to the poor.

The new cardinals will receive the traditional red hat and robes at a formal ceremony known as a consistory.

Sixteen of the new appointees are under 80, making them eligible to enter a conclave to elect the Pope’s successor.

The new cardinals come from 12 countries, including Spain, Italy and Germany.

The Pope is encouraging cardinals – old and new – to think outside the box in formulating new policies for the Catholic Church, our correspondent adds.The new recruits will join the more than 100-strong College of Cardinals, which has been meeting in plenary session behind closed doors at the Vatican for the past two days.

The 19 new Cardinals

Archbishop Pietro Parolin (Italy)
Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri (Italy)
Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller (Germany)
Archbishop, Beniamino Stella (Italy)
Archbishop Vincent Nichols (Britain)
Archbishop Leopoldo Jose Brenes Solorzano (Nicaragua)
Archbishop Gerald Cyprien Lacroix (Canada)
Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa (Ivory Coast)
Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta (Brazil)
Archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti (Italy)
Archbishop Mario Aurelio Poli (Argentina)
Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo Jung (South Korea)
Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello (Chile)
Archbishop Philippe Nakellentuba Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo (Philippines)
Archbishop Chibly Langlois (Haiti)
Monsignor Loris Francesco Capovilla (Italy) *
Archbishop Fernando Sebastian Aguilar (Spain) *
Monsignor Kelvin Edward Felix (St Lucia) *
* Cardinal emeritus, without voting rights