New Cardinals’ composition 2014

Pope Francis was not innovative in announcing his intention to create new cardinals on 22 February 2014. This is his first “class of cardinals” and if the Pope remains in office for the next several years he will be able to re-create the composition of the College in a very significant way.

The make up of the College of Cardinals is further internationalized with the number of Europeans and bishops from the USA being held steady. Most of the new men in the College are boilerplate in the sense that most got the honor because of the work they do in the Curia or in their respective churches. Surprises were Haiti, Cotabato, Burkina Faso and Dominica. Haiti’s cardinal is the first for that country. Personally, I was hoping for more Asians and Africans, but….

The Holy Father made the announcement today. Some notes about the new church princes:

• The pope stayed with the norm of 120 under the age of 80 for voting purposes; 16 of the new cardinals are voting;
• the age range goes from Archbishop Capovilla, 98, to the youngest, Bishop Langlois, 55; most fall in the late 60s and 70s;
• the Archbishop of Cotabato is an unusual choice because Corbato is not a “traditional” cardinalatial see; in some quarters the Archbishop of Cebu would be the more natural suspect for the red; the Cotabato archbishop comes from a small diocese which lives among a significant muslim area; another un-typical name is the archbishop of Perugia, Italy — though some of his predecessors have been cardinals;
• there is no new cardinal from the USA; a good thing since we have plenty;
• 4 of the cardinals are members of the Roman Curia and 12 are residential archbishops or bishops:
• 2 from Europe’s residential sees, 2 from North and Central America, 3 from South America, 2 from Africa, and 2 from Asia; interesting to see new cardinals coming from Burkina Faso and Haiti;
• non-electors, are  Archbishop Capovilla, the secretary of Blessed Pope John XXIII