Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Four new Asian cardinals tipped

Pope Benedict is tipped to make as many as four new Asian cardinals at the next consistory expected in October, observers believe.

UCAN special correspondent, Gerard O’Connell, quotes Rome sources as saying that among the most likely to be given red hats are Japan’s Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada, Sri Lanka’s Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, India’s Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, and Myanmar’s Archbishop Charles Maung Bo.

Archbishop Okada was appointed archbishop of Tokyo in February 2000 by Pope John Paul II, and is president of the Japanese bishops’ conference. He is well known to the Pope and last met him in November 2009 during a visit to commemorate the first anniversary of the beatification of the Japanese martyrs. He would be the sixth Japanese cardinal.

Archbishop Ranjith, a biblical scholar and polyglot who has worked twice in senior positions in the Vatican - under Pope John Paul II and the current Pope - also served as nuncio to Indonesia. He is very close to Pope Benedict and shares his views on liturgical and theological questions.

Archbishop Menamparampil, a Salesian and archbishop of Guwahati, is well known for his peace and reconciliation work in northeastern India. The Pope asked him to write the reflections for the Way of the Cross at the Coliseum on Good Friday, 2009, and also appointed him to the post-synodal council.

Archbishop Bo of Yangon, also a Salesian, played a central role in organizing Catholic relief in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and is also greatly appreciated by the pope. He would be Myanmar’s first cardinal. His appointment would give a major boost to the Catholic community there.

Besides these four, sources say the Pope might decide to appoint a cardinal from Pakistan to give encouragement to the Christian community there. He might also assign a red hat to the Philippines, as one of its two cardinals – Cardinal Ricardo Vidal - will turn 80 in February 2011.

In choosing new cardinals, Pope Benedict has a major problem: there are far more candidates than available positions.

Asia currently has a total of 18 cardinals but only 10 of them are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect the next Pope.
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