The Sat Report: Profiling Pope Francis' latest batch of new Cardinals
Tomorrow the Catholic Church will have 20 new Cardinal-Electors. This is who they are.
Tomorrow afternoon at 4pm Rome time, Pope Francis will lead an Ordinary Public Consistory where 21 men will admitted to the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, 20 of whom will be eligible to vote in a future conclave until they reach their 80th birthday. This Consistory was announced during the Synod on Synodality, and takes place on the eve of the Great Jubilee Holy Year of 2025.
The Vatican has also launched a handy interactive dashboard, with the statistics of the College of Cardinals. There are now 140 Cardinal-electors, 20 above the upper limit of 120 set by Paul VI. I have a feeling that this limit will be scrapped by Pope Francis sooner rather than later, when he eventually makes changes to the rules governing future conclaves. If the cap isn’t lifted then what Pope Francis has done is severely limit the ability of his successor to mould the College of Cardinals in his own image, in the way Pope Francis has done.
Of the 140 Cardinal-electors, Pope Francis has named 110, with 24 remaining from Benedict’s Pontificate, and 6 that were named by John Paul II. Europe remains the continent with the most Cardinal-electors at 55, followed by Asia with 25, South America and Africa with 18 apiece, North America with 16, Central America and the Caribbean with 4, and Oceania also with 4.
The country with the most Cardinal-electors remains Italy, as is has done for centuries, with 18 electors, followed by the United States with 10 Cardinal-electors.
Here are the newly announced Cardinal-Elects, in the order in which Pope Francis announced them:
Angelo Acerbi, Apostolic Nuncio, Age: 99
Motto: In Fide et Lenitate
Born on September 23, 1925, in Sesta Godano, Italy, Acerbi was ordained a priest on March 27, 1948, for the Diocese of La Spezia. After earning degrees in canon law and theology, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1954
Acerbi has served in various nunciatures around the world, including Colombia, Brazil, Japan, and France. He was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean in 1974, and later served in Colombia, Hungary, Moldova, and the Netherlands. Notably, he was held hostage by guerrillas in Colombia in 1980 and was released after six weeks
Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio, Archbishop of Lima, Peru, Age: 74
Motto: A Ti Te Digo Levántate
Appointed Archbishop of Lima by Pope Francis on January 25, 2019, Castillo Mattasoglio earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences from the National University of San Marcos. He then pursued theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained degrees in philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest on July 15, 1984, by Juan Cardinal Landázuri Ricketts
Throughout his career, Castillo Mattasoglio has been deeply involved in both pastoral care and theological education in Peru. He has served as a lecturer in Catholic theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru since 1987. His work has also included various roles within the archdiocese, focusing on youth and vocational pastoral care. His predictor in Lima, Juan Luis Cardinal Cipriani Thorne, a member of Opus Dei, turned 80 last December, and is no longer eligible to vote in a future conclave.
Vicente Bokalic Iglic, C.M., Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Age: 72
Primate of Argentina
Motto: Me Envió a Evangelizar a los Pobres
Born on June 11, 1952, in Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. His parents emigrated from Slovenia in 1949. Bokalic Iglic joined the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) in 1970 and was ordained a priest on April 11, 1978. Before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, he was a missionary, parish priest, and formator. He received episcopal consecration at the hands of Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis. In 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as the Bishop of Santiago del Estero, and in July 2024, he became the first Archbishop of the newly elevated Archdiocese of Santiago del Estero, as well as the Primate of Argentina, when the Pope transferred the title to this See from Buenos Aires. With him, Argentina now has 4 Cardinal electors.
Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Age: 69
Motto: Verbum Domini Nuntiantes
Born on October 11, 1955, in Azogues, Ecuador, he is a member of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM). Cabrera Herrera was ordained a priest on September 8, 1983, before being was appointed Archbishop of Cuenca in 2009 and served there until 2015, when he was appointed Archbishop of Guayaquil. Since 2020, he has been the president of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference, having previously served as its vice president
Cabrera Herrera has also been involved in various educational and administrative roles within the Franciscan Order and the broader Church. He earned his doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome. He will be the first serving Ordinary of Guayaquil to be named a Cardinal.
Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Age: 67
Motto: Mihi Vivere Christus
Born on March 10, 1957, in Santiago, Chile, is a prominent prelate of the Catholic Church. He was ordained a priest on April 6, 1991. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago in 2006 and served in that role until 2011, when he became the Metropolitan Archbishop of Concepción. Following on from the fallout of the clerical abuse crisis in Chile, which saw all of the countries submit their resignation to the Pope, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago in October 2023
Chomalí Garib holds degrees in civil engineering, philosophy, theology, and bioethics from various institutions, including the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Chomalí Garib has been a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life since 2001. He is possibly the first Cardinal of Palestinian decent.
Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, S.V.D., Archbishop of Tōkyō, Japan, Age: 66
Motto: Unity in Diversity
born on November 1, 1958, in Miyako, Iwate, Japan, is a prominent prelate of the Catholic Church. He is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). Kikuchi was ordained a priest on March 15, 1986. He has served in various roles within the Church, including as a missionary in Ghana from 1986 to 1992. Kikuchi was appointed Bishop of Niigata in 2004 and served until 2017, when he was appointed Archbishop of Tokyo. Kikuchi has also been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts, particularly through Caritas Japan and Caritas Asia.
In May 2023, he became the president of Caritas Internationalis, replacing Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who was relieved of his duties due to his inability to take any decisions at all, following a series of management and staff morale problems in the organisation.
Pablo Virgilio Siongco David, Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines, Age: 65
Motto: Kenosis
Affectionately known as Bishop Ambo, he was born on March 2, 1959, in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga, Philippines. He has been the Bishop of Kalookan since 2015 and is the current president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. David was ordained a priest on March 12, 1983, by Archbishop Oscar Cruz. He later became the Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando and the Titular Bishop of Guardialfiera in 2006.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Ateneo de Manila University, a master's degree in Theology from the Loyola School of Theology, and both a licentiate and doctorate in Sacred Theology from the ultra-progressive KU Leuven in Belgium. He is recognized as one of the leading Bible experts in the Philippines. He is the first Bishop of Kalookan to be made a Cardinal, and becomes the Philippines third Cardinal elector.
Ladislav Nemet, S.V.D., Archbishop of Beograd (-Smederevo), Serbia, Age: 68
Motto: Benedicite, Omnia Opera Domini, Domino
Born on September 7, 1956, in Odžaci, SerbiaNemet is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (Verbites). He completed his studies in philosophy and theology in Poland and was ordained a priest on April 17, 1983. He holds a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Nemet worked as a missionary in the Philippines, a chaplain at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, and a professor of theology in Austria and Croatia. He also served as the Secretary General of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference and has been the President of the International Episcopal Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius since 2016.
Before being named the Archbishop of Belgrade, he was the Bishop of Zrenjanin from 2008 to 2022.
Archbishop Jaime Spengler, O.F.M., Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Age: 64
Motto: In Cruce Gloriari
Born on September 6, 1960, in Gaspar, Santa Catarina, Brazil, Spengler has been the Archbishop of Porto Alegre since 2013. He is a member of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) and was ordained a priest on November 17, 1990.
He was appointed as the Titular Bishop of Patara and Auxiliary Bishop of Porto Alegre in 2010. Spengler has also been actively involved in the Episcopal Conference of Brazil, serving as its president since 2023, and he is the president of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).
Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Age: 63
Motto: Omnibus omnia
Born on August 17, 1961, in Niangon-Adjamé, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, he has been serving as the Archbishop of Abidjan since May 2024. Prior to this, he was the Bishop of Katiola from 2004 to 2021 and the Archbishop of Korhogo from 2021 to 2024.
Dogbo was ordained a priest on August 2, 1987. He holds a degree in exegesis from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He has held various significant roles, including diocesan director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, vicar general of the Diocese of Yopougon, and professor of biblical languages at Saint Paul Major Seminary. He has also served as the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Ivory Coast from 2017 to 2023.
Jean-Paul Vesco, O.P., Archbishop of Alger-Iulia Caesarea, Algeria, Age: 62
Motto: Je veux vivre et donner envie de vivre
Born on March 10, 1962, in Lyon, France. He initially pursued a career in law, practicing as a lawyer in Lyon for seven years before joining the Dominicans in 1995. He took his vows on September 14, 1996, and was ordained a priest on June 24, 2001.
His first assignment in Algeria was in 2002, when he moved to the Dominican convent in Tlemcen, in the Diocese of Oran. He served as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Oran and later became its bishop in 2012, before he was named the Archbishop of Algiers. Vesco has been actively involved in promoting interfaith dialogue.
Dominique Joseph Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv., Archbishop of Teheran-Ispahan, Iran, Age: 61
Motto: Deus Meus in Te Confido
Born on June 13, 1963, in Arlon, Belgium, is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.). He professed his solemn vows on September 20, 1987, and was ordained a priest on September 24, 1989. He has held various roles within his order, including vocational promoter, provincial minister, and rector of the national shrine of Saint Anthony of Padua in Brussels.
In 2013, he moved to Lebanon, where he served in several capacities, including custodial secretary and master of novices. From 2019 to 2021, he was the definitor general and general assistant for the Central Europe Federation of the Friars Minor Conventual. He has been serving as the Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan since January 2021.
Roberto Repole, Archbishop of Turin, Archbishop-Bishop of Susa, Age:57
Motto: Christus Tradidit Seipsum Pro Me
Born on January 29, 1967, in Turin, Italy, he has been serving as the Archbishop of Turin and Bishop of Susa since 2022. Repole was ordained a priest on June 13, 1992, by Giovanni Cardinal Saldarini.
He holds a bachelor's degree in theology from the Theological Faculty of Turin and a licentiate and doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Before becoming an archbishop, Repole was a lecturer in systematic theology at the Theological Faculty of Turin and the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in Turin from 1996 to 2022.
He also served as the president of the Italian Theological Association from 2011 to 2016 and was the rector of the Turin section of the Theological Faculty of Northern Italy from 2016 to 2022
Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of Rome, Titular Archbishop of Aquae in Mauretania, Archpriest of the Archbasilica Saint John Lateran Basilica, Age: 54
Motto: Caritas Patiens Est
Born on November 26, 1970, in San Giovanni Gemini, Italy, he is current serving as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome, being appointed on the same day that Pope Francis announced this consistory in since. Prior to this, he was the Auxiliary Bishop of Rome from 2022 to 2024 and the Vicegerent of the Diocese of Rome from 2023 to 2024.
Reina was ordained a priest on September 8, 1995. He holds a bachelor's degree in sacred theology and a licentiate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He has served in various roles within the Archdiocese of Agrigento, including rector of the major seminary and diocesan assistant of Catholic Action.
Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Age: 53
Motto: Quodcumque Dixerit Facite
Born on June 30, 1971, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he has been the Archbishop of Toronto since March 2023, serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of Montreal prior to his appointment to Toronto.
Leo was ordained a priest on December 14, 1996. He holds a bachelor's degree from the Institut de Formation Théologique de Montréal and both a licentiate and a doctorate in theology from the International Marian Research Institute. He has also studied at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome and served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
Throughout his career, Leo has held various significant roles, including General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Montreal. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic.
Rolandas Makrickas, Coadjutor Archpriest of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore {Saint Mary Major Basilica}, Titular Archbishop of Tolentino, Age: 52
Motto: Deus Fidelis Manet
Born on January 31, 1972, in Biržai, Lithuania, Makrickas was ordained a priest on July 30, 1996. He holds a doctorate in church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2006, serving in various countries including Bolivia, Georgia, Sweden, the United States, Gabon, and Congo. In 2021, he was appointed as the extraordinary commissioner responsible for managing the assets of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Mykola Bychok, C.SS.R., Bishop of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne (Ukrainian), Australia, Age: 44
Motto: Most Holy Mother of God, save us
Born on February 13, 1980, in Ternopil, Ukraine, is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic prelate. He has been serving as the Eparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne since 2020. Bychok is a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), who took his religious vows on August 17, 2003, was ordained a priest on May 3, 2005. Before his current role, Bychok served in various capacities, including as a missionary in Russia, the superior of Saint Joseph's Redemptorists Monastery, and the pastor of the Mother Parish of Perpetual Help in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. He also worked in the United States as the vicar of the Ukrainian Catholic parish of Saint John the Baptist in Newark, New Jersey
On June 7, 2020, he was consecrated as a bishop by Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. He is probably the most interesting name on this list, as he will be the youngest member of the College of Cardinals, and because he has been elevated but the Major Archbishop of the Eastern Church to which he belongs. With this appointment the Holy Father is trying to show his closeness to Ukraine without antagonising Russia, and thereby jeopardising the role the Holy See is having in trying to find a peaceful solution in Ukraine. I think this appointment is less a snub of Shevchuk, who has been openly critical of Pope Francis, and more sign of his closeness to Ukraine in the most geopolitical sensitive way possible.
Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, O.P., Priest of Order of Friars Preachers, Age: 79
Born on August 22, 1945, in London, England, Radcliffe entered the Dominican Order in 1965 and was ordained a priest on October 2, 1971. He served as the Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992 to 2001, making him the only member of the order's English Province to hold that office. During his tenure, he was also the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
After his term as Master, Radcliffe continued his work in academia and public speaking. He served as the director of the Las Casas Institute, which focuses on social justice and human rights, and has been a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He is known for his writings and lectures on theology, spirituality, and social issues, such as homosexuality. He became the face of the Synod of Synodality when Pope Francis asked him to lead the pre-Synodal retreats, becoming the de-facto spiritual director of Synodality.
Fabio Baggio, C.S., Under Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Age: 59
nb will be Consecrated as the Titular Archbishop of Urusi on January 11, 2025
Born on January 15, 1965, in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, and is a member of the Scalabrinian Missionaries. He has been serving as the Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development since January 1, 2017.
Baggio was ordained a priest on July 11, 1992, and holds a bachelor's degree in theology and a licentiate and doctorate in church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University. His career has been marked by extensive missionary work, including eight years in Latin America and eight years in the Philippines
He has held various academic and administrative roles, such as director of the Scalabrini Migration Center and the Asian Pacific Migration Journal in the Philippines, and professor at several institutions including the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires and the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome
George Jacob Koovakad, Titular Archbishop of Nisibis dei Caldei, Age: 51
Motto: Fragrantiam Christi Caritatis Effundere
Official of the Secretariat of State who is responsible for organising the Holy Father travel arrangements on his Apostolic Journeys across the world.
Born on August 11, 1973, in Chethipuzha, Kerala, India. Koovakad was ordained a priest of the Syro-Malabar on July 24, 2004, and holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
After completing his studies at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, he joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2006. He has served in various nunciatures, including those in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.
Since 2020, Koovakad has been working in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, where he has been responsible for organizing Pope Francis' overseas trips. He too, like with Bychok, is being raised to the Sacred College of Cardinals, ahead of the Major Archbishop of his sui iuris Church.
Domenico Battaglia, Archbishop of Naples, Italy, Age: 61
Motto: Confide Surge Vocat Te
Replacement for Paskalis Bruno Syukur, O.F.M. Bishop of Bogor, Indonesia (more on that later).
Born on January 20, 1963, in Satriano, Italy, and goes by the nickname Mimmo, Battaglia was ordained a priest on February 6, 1988. He studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Regional Seminary San Pio X in Catanzaro.
Throughout his priesthood, he has been known for his pastoral work and commitment to social issues. He served as the president of the Calabrese Solidarity Center, which supports efforts to recover from drug addiction. Prior to his appointment to Naples, he was the Bishop of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant'Agata de' Goti from 2016 to 2020.
Bishop Syukur had petitioned the Holy Father not to make him a Cardinal. The Holy See Press Office in its announcement that the Holy Father had accepted his request, stated that he “was motivated by his desire to continue growing in priestly life and in service to the Church and the people of God.” The day after this announcement ANSA reported cases of coverup of clerical sexual that have emerged in his Diocese of Bogor, specifically the case of the sexual abuse of an altar boys by a friar, who also ran a Catholic orphanage with similar incidents also reported at that establishment. Bishop Syukur for his part as said that “abuse must be addressed openly.”
We should keep the victims of clerical sexual abuse in our prayers. May God deliver the Church form this evil.
We should also pray for the men that will elevated to the Sacred College of Cardinals, may they be faithful witnesses to the Gospel.