VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis named 21 new cardinals Sunday, most of them from continents other than Europe — which dominated Catholic hierarchy for most of the church’s history — and further putting his mark on the group of people who might someday elect the next pontiff. Only one new cardinal was named from the United States: Robert Walter McElroy, bishop of San Diego, California. This is the eighth batch of cardinals that Francis has named since becoming pontiff in 2013. A total of 131 cardinals would be young enough to elect a pope once the new batch are included, while the number of cardinals too old to vote will rise to 96. In Francis’ selection on Sunday, he passed over the prominent archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 29, 2022 15:07 UTC