Pope Francis created 13 new cardinals at his sixth consistory on October 5. Ten are under 80 years old and therefore will be eligible to vote at the next conclave for his successor.
With the creation of these new Catholic princes, who share Francis’s emphasis on a missional and evangelizing church, Francis has now named a total of 91 new cardinals, and more than 52 percent of the voting cardinals, giving him the power to reshape the church.
During a ceremony welcoming the new cardinals, Francis spoke of the danger that occurs “when a man of the church becomes an official,” calling them to more “compassion” in a time when the Vatican faces financial scandals and internal divisions
