A list of the new cardinals named by Pope Benedict XVI

A list of the new cardinals named by Pope Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI named 15 new cardinals on Wednesday, 12 of whom are under the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect his successor. Here are the names of the new cardinals who will be elevated at a Vatican ceremony March 24:

_Monsignor William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

_Monsignor Franc Rode, prefect of the Congregation for the Institutes for Consecrated Life.

_Monsignor Agostino Vallini, prefect of the Vatican's Supreme Tribunal for the Apostolic Signatura.

_Monsignor Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela.

_Monsignor Gaudencio B. Rosales, archbishop of Manila, Philippines.

_Monsignor Jean-Pierre Ricard, archbishop of Bordeaux, France.

_Monsignor Antonio Canizares Llovera, archbishop of Toledo, Spain.

_Monsignor Nicolas Cheong-Jin-Suk, archbishop of Seoul, Korea.

_Monsignor Sean Patrick O'Malley, archbishop of Boston.

_Monsignor Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland.

_Monsignor Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna, Italy.

_Monsignor Joseph Zen, bishop of Hong Kong.

The three cardinals who are over 80 are:

_Monsignor Andrea Cordero Lanza Di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls, in Rome.

_Monsignor Peter Poreku Dery, archbishop emeritus of Tamale, Ghana.

_Rev. Albert Vanhoye, the former Jesuit rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Pope names new cardinals, including from Hong Kong, Krakow and Boston

From HongKong News Line

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI named 15 new cardinals on Wednesday, including prelates from Hong Kong, Boston and Krakow, Poland, adding his first installment to the elite group of churchmen who will elect his successor.

Benedict read aloud the names during his weekly general audience and said they would be elevated during a ceremony at the Vatican on March 24.

Among those chosen to receive the "red hats'' that the so-called princes of the church wear, Benedict also named the archbishops of Caracas, Venezuela; Seoul, Korea; Bordeaux, France; Toledo, Spain and Manilla, Philippines.

He also said his successor at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop William Levada, would be made a cardinal, the second American among the new names.

Twelve of the 15 men are under the age of 80, and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to select Benedict's successor.

Among the new cardinals is Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen. Benedict has been reaching out to China and the elevation of Zen, who has been outspoken in the need for religious rights of Catholics in China, was an indication that religious freedom is important to the pontiff.

Benedict also tapped Pope John Paul II's longtime private secretary, Krakow Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz for a red hat.

In addition, he named the archbishop of Boston, Sean O'Malley, who was brought in by John Paul to clean up the archdiocese following the sex abuse scandal that forced the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law.

Benedict said the new cardinals "reflect the universality of the church: In fact, they come from various parts of the world and carry out different tasks in the service of the people of God.''

The new cardinals come from 11 different countries from North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Prior to Wednesday's announcement, there were 178 cardinals, 110 of whom are under age 80 and thus eligible to participate in a conclave to elect a new pope. Two of those 110 will turn 80 in the next month, however.

In 1973, Pope Paul VI established that the maximum number of cardinal electors be set at 120. While John Paul frequently went over that ceiling, Benedict said that by naming 12 cardinal electors Wednesday, he intended to bring the total number of electors to Paul VI's limit.

Under John Paul, the College of Cardinals became more international and less Italian, although Europe as a whole still is the largest bloc, followed by the Latin Americans.

By naming three Asians on Wednesday and two Americans, Benedict gave Asia the same number of cardinals as North America: 20. Seoul Archbishop Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk said his nomination was the result of support from Korean Catholics as well as the government.

"I will do my best to meet your expectations,'' he told a news conference at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul. During his 26-year pontificate, John Paul presided over nine consistories, creating a total of 231 cardinals.

Cardinals have been the sole electors of the pontiff for nearly 1,000 years and it remains their most important job. For centuries, they have chosen the pope from their own ranks, locked away in a secret conclave like the April 18-19 one that resulted in the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI.-AP

Feb. 22, 2006, 6:19AM

Pope Names 15 New Cardinals

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON Associated Press Writer

VATICAN CITY ã Pope Benedict XVI named 15 new cardinals on Wednesday, including prelates from Boston, Hong Kong, and Krakow, Poland, adding his first installment to the elite group of churchmen who will elect his successor.

Benedict read aloud the names during his weekly general audience and said they would be elevated during a ceremony at the Vatican on March 24.

Among those chosen to receive the "red hat" that the so-called princes of the church wear, Benedict also named the archbishops of Caracas, Venezuela; Seoul, South Korea; Bordeaux, France; Toledo, Spain and Manila, Philippines.

He also said his successor at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop William Levada, would be made a cardinal, the second American among the new names.

Twelve of the 15 men are under the age of 80, and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to select Benedict's successor.

Among the key new cardinals is Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen. The elevation of Zen, who has been outspoken in the need for religious rights of Catholics in China, was an indication that religious freedom is important to the pontiff.

Benedict also tapped Pope John Paul II's longtime private secretary, Krakow Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, for a red hat. In addition, he named the archbishop of Boston, Sean O'Malley, who was brought in by John Paul to clean up the archdiocese following the sex abuse scandal that forced the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law.

Benedict said the new cardinals "reflect the universality of the church. In fact, they come from various parts of the world and carry out different tasks in the service of the people of God."

The new cardinals come from 11 different countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Prior to Wednesday's announcement, there were 178 cardinals, 110 of whom are under age 80. Two of those 110 will turn 80 in the next month.

In 1973, Pope Paul VI established that the maximum number of cardinal electors be set at 120. John Paul, however, frequently went over that number. During his 26-year pontificate, he presided over nine consistories, creating a total of 231 cardinals

Ghana Gets 2nd Cardinal February 23, 2006,

By AND West Africa

Ghanaian Archbishop Emeritus Peter Poreku Dery 88, has been elevated to the status of Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, the first such appointment by the Pope since his enthronement last May.

He becomes only the second Ghanaian Cardinal after Peter Cardinal Kodwo Appiah Turkson, who was named Cardinal by the late Pope John Paul II on October 20, 2003.

Cardinal-elect Dery is among 15 prelates who will be consecrated on March 24, in the Vatican, followed by the official investiture ceremony.

Though Archbishop Dery, is above 80 years, and on retirement, the Pope elevated him and two others in "consideration of the service he rendered to the church with exemplary faithfulness and admirable dedication," a statement from the Vatican Information Service announced.

His elevation has been greeted with cheers form the Catholic faithful and the general public.

Born in Nandom Ko on May 10, 1918, Archbishop Emeritus Dery was ordained into the Priesthood on February 11, 1951.

He became the Bishop of Wa on May 8, 1960 and was enthroned Archbishop of Tamale on November 27, 1977, and retired in 1994.

The Archbishop Dery who holds a Doctorate in Divinity was one time the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference for two terms from 1982 to 1988.

From Tamale, Yakubu Abdul-Majeed reports that Cardinal-elect Dery, who lives there, expressed gratitude to the Pope for the honour bestowed on him.

≥In fact, I am lost for words to thank his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI for uplifting me to this enviable position in the Catholic Church≤, he said.

Archbishop Dery, who is said to be the architect of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province, promised to do more to the service of the church in spite of his old age.

Speaking to the Times on phone Peter Cardinal Turkson, Archbishop of Cape Coast, said the elevation of Archbishop Dery was a big honour to the nation and the church.

He said the elevation had been long overdue since Archbishop Dery was his mentor for a very long time.

Cardinal Turkson said the Pope recognized the services of Archbishop Dery because of his active interest in the youth within the church.

He explained that a number of Catholic youth were mentored by cardinal-elect while others were prepared for the pastoral ministry.

≥I rejoice with Archbishop Dery and congratulate him,≤ he said, adding, ≥it is a well deserved to be made the Pope≤.

By Augustine Cobba-Biney & Innocent Appiah, New Times