Pope finds compatible clergy in Global South

Venice, Milan, Berlin and Paris, all venerable dioceses that like to have a cardinal at their helm, have lost out this time. Instead, Pope Francis, 85, has opted to appoint cardinals who hail from Mongolia, East Timor, Singapore and Nigeria. On Saturday, they will join the College of Cardinals and potentially become eligible to choose the next pope. In Saturday's consistory — the eighth such ceremony in the pope's nine years in office — Francis is thus continuing his approach.

Cardinals who are not yet 80 are eligible to enter a papal conclave to elect the next bishop of Rome. Such cardinal electors will soon hail from 69 countries — more than ever before. The last conclave, in 2013, boasted cardinals from 48 countries, whereas that of 2005 had cardinals from 52 countries. In 1978, there were two conclaves and 51 countries were represented. Currently, 132 cardinals would be eligible to participate in a conclave to elect a pope. But, before the end of this year, five of the bishops entitled to wear the cardinal's scarlet cassock will have turned 80 and will thus no longer be eligible to vote for a new pope. The first, a bishop from El Salvador, turns 80 on September 3.

"This is very consistent with the previous appointments of cardinals by Pope Francis," church historian Massimo Faggioli said. "It follows a certain pattern, which means that Francis does not care for the traditional criterion that some major cities in Europe or in the West" have a cardinal.

One example is Milan, which, since the end of the 19th century, has always had an archbishop who also became a cardinal. Nine were appointed in succession, and two even became pope. But Mario Delpini, who was appointed archbishop of the city in 2017, has yet to be conferred the red hat. 

Another Italian, Giorgio Marengo, will become the world's youngest cardinal. The 48-year-old has worked as a missionary in Mongolia, where there are only about 1,300 Catholics, for over 20 years. He has never received much attention internationally, but he did reportedly speak with the pope on the phone a few weeks before the new cardinals' names were announced at the end of May on the occasion of a Catholic Church anniversary in Mongolia.

Two of the new cardinals who are not yet 80 are from India, Anthony Poola (60) and Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao di Rosario Ferrao (69), and two are from Brazil, Paulo Cezar Costa (54) and Leonardo Ulrich Steiner (71).

Latin America, Africa and particularly Asia are more important to the pope than the "old" churches of Europe or North America. Two of the new cardinals under the age of 80 are from Africa, four from Latin America and six from Asia. That is more cardinals than come from Europe (four) and North America (one) combined. Increasingly, the names of the favorites in speculation about who might succeed Francis seem to be coming from Asia.

A new Vatican

Only 53 of the 132 cardinal electors are from Europe — representing the first time that the continent might not have a majority vote in the selection of the pope. With his appointment of cardinals, Pope Francis is essentially reflecting global developments regarding the Catholic Church. There are proportionally more Catholics in Asia, Africa and Latin America than in Europe. Himself from Argentina, the 85-year-old pope wants proportional power for the Global South.

This also means that it is hard to envisage what a future conclave might resemble — both from the point of view of papal candidates and cardinal electors. Since 1378, nobody who had not previously served as a cardinal has been elected pope. Faggioli said the next conclave would be "more unpredictable" because it was "very complicated to forecast how the cardinals from Asia or Africa will vote." He added that the issues that they think about and consider are "very different" from those of their European counterparts. "The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that these cardinals do not know each other," Faggioli said. "They have never gathered together."

The cardinals appointed by Francis often fit a pattern: They are very pious but also close to the people and committed to sociopolitical issues and defending the rights of marginalized groups. This is true for Marengo in Mongolia, but also for Peter Okpaleke, 59, in Nigeria, who for years was rejected by the parishioners of his own diocese because of his ethnic background. In 2020, Francis appointed him Bishop of Ekwulobia in southern Nigeria.

The only US bishop and the only one from a European metropolis to become cardinals also fit this mold. Robert Walter McElroy, the 68-year-old bishop of San Diego in California, was one of the few high-ranking clerics in the US to criticize former President Donald Trump's migration policy early on. He has always stressed his proximity to Francis and has not lost himself in ultraconservatism. For his part, the archbishop of Marseille, Jean-Marc Aveline, 63, who was born in Algeria, is involved in migration policy.

'Incredibly diverse college'

Francis has arranged for a big meeting at the Vatican after the ceremony. The new appointees hail from 69 countries and do not know each other necessarily. "The extraordinary consistory is so important because it is now an incredibly diverse college of cardinals," Faggioli said. "They need to get to know each other because at some point the conclave will take place and many, or most, of them will be the electors."

It is the first extraordinary consistory since 2014, as this is an instrument of communication that Pope Francis uses far less frequently than his predecessors. There has been much speculation as to what will be discussed. "Pope Francis is a pope of surprises," Faggioli said. "I have no idea if there will be a surprise." But the historian doubts that Francis will announce his resignation. Instead, he predicted that there would be much discussion about the reforms to the Roman Curia, the governing body of the Vatican, and said a number of staff decisions lay ahead.

The pope has summoned all cardinals to take part in the two-day meeting at the Vatican, including those who are over 80. Popes traditionally confer the cardinal honor on elderly clergy, too, and this time round four men aged over 80 are to be elevated. There were supposed to be five, but a Belgian bishop declined the honor after becoming embroiled in an abuse scandal.

This article was originally written in German.