DENVER (CO)
Crux
February 21, 2018
John L. Allen Jr. and Ines San Martin
Judging by past performance, it would seem Pope Francis enjoys creating new cardinals. So far, he’s held one consistory, the event in which that happens, during each full year of his papacy, which would mean that if things hold to form, there could be one before the end of 2018 as well.
On Tuesday, Cardinal Paolo Romeo, the former archbishop of Palermo, Sicily, turned 80, meaning he’s no longer an “elector,” meaning a cardinal eligible to vote for the next pope. He’s one of six cardinals who will age out between now and June, with the others being:
March 6: Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, Italy
March 17: Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland, United Kingdom (In March 2015, O’Brien lost his right to participate in a conclave, in consistories, and in meetings reserved only to the College of Cardinals.)
March 29: Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Portugal
April 1: Cardinal Pierre Nguyễn Văn Nhơn, Vietnam
June 8: Cardinal Angelo Amato, Italy
Those birthdays mean that should Francis choose to hold a consistory sometime over the summer, and, if he elects to retain the limit of 120 cardinal electors established by Blessed Pope Paul VI, he could name six new Princes of the Church.
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