Vatican City - On December 7, 2024, Pope Francis held his tenth consistory at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, appointing new cardinals in a significant move to enhance the global representation of the Catholic Church. This event marks the largest increase in voting-age cardinals during Francis' pontificate, with the pope having created 110 of the 140 cardinals under the age of 80 eligible to vote in a conclave.
The newly appointed cardinals include five bishops from Latin America, representing countries such as Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Peru, and Argentina. Additionally, two cardinals hail from Africa, specifically from Ivory Coast and Algeria, along with the archbishop of Tehran, Iran.
Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, noted the potential for an African pope in the future, emphasizing the need for the universal church to be prepared for such a possibility. Francis, the first Latin American pope, has consistently aimed to diversify the College of Cardinals geographically.
The Asia-Pacific region, where Catholicism is experiencing rapid growth, also saw new cardinals appointed, including the archbishop of Tokyo, the bishop of Kalookan in the Philippines, and the bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Melbourne, Australia. Indian prelate George Jacob Koovakad, who has been instrumental in organizing the pope's foreign travels, was also elevated to cardinal.
The consistory ceremony commenced at 4:00 p.m. local time (1500 UTC/GMT).