iStock/Thinkstock(ROME) — Pope Francis named 17 new Cardinals on Sunday, 13 of which are eligible to elect his successor.
The Pope selected the Cardinals from five continents. His selections from Africa, Asia, and Latin America signal the Catholic Church’s emphasis on growing the religion in developing countries.
Just one of the cardinals is Italian, and three are American. Other Archbishops were selected from Mauritius and Bangladesh.
Cardinals are senior members of the Church’s hierarchy, just below the Pope.
Below are the names of the 17 new Cardinals:
Archbishop Mario Zenari, Italy
Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Central African Republic
Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra, Spain
Archbishop Sérgio da Rocha, Brazil
Archbishop Blase J. Cupich, U.S.A.
Archbishop Patrick D’Rozario, Bangladesh
Archbishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, Venezuela
Archbishop Jozef De Kesel, Belgium
Archbishop Maurice Piat, Mauritius
Archbishop Kevin Joseph Farrell, U.S.A.
Archbishop Carlos Aguiar Retes, Mexico
Archbishop John Ribat, Papua Nuova Guinea
Archbishop Mons. Joseph William Tobin U.S.A.
Archbishop Anthony Soter Fernandez, Archbishop Emeritus of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Archbishop Renato Corti, Archbishop Emeritus of Novara Italy
Archbishop Sebastian Koto Khoarai, Bishop Emeritus of Mohale’s Hoek Lesotho
Father Ernest Simoni, presbytery of the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult, Scutari – Albania.
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