Benedict XVI names 15 new cardinals

After the general audience today, 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 said that the feat of St peter's Chair today was "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, 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 OFM Cap., of Boston, USA - Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, Poland. - Archbishop Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy. - Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun SDB. 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 SJ, 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." Source: VIS