Pope Francis appointed 21 new cardinals on Sunday, marking a substantial increase in the size of the College of Cardinals and solidifying his influence on the group responsible for electing his successor. The new cardinals encompass a diverse range of backgrounds and ages, with Monsignor Angelo Acerbi, a 99-year-old retired Vatican diplomat, becoming the oldest cardinal, and Bishop Mykola Bychok, a 44-year-old Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church leader in Melbourne, Australia, being the youngest.
The upcoming consistory on December 8 will see the new cardinals receive their red hats, with Monsignor Acerbi being the only one over 80 and therefore ineligible to vote for the next pope. The current number of cardinal-electors now stands at 142, exceeding the usual limit of 120, as popes occasionally surpass the cap to maintain a robust College of Cardinals.
