Pope Benedict will shortly call a consistory to name new cardinals, including three for Asia, one each for Sri Lanka, China and Japan, predicts Vatican expert Marco Tosatti. Not only is a consistory imminent, but its announcement will come next month according to Tosatti, the Catholic News Agency reports citing Italian daily La Stampa.
With the traditional number of voting-age members of the College of Cardinals being 120, there is considerable space for new cardinals, CNA says.
Tosatti wrote on Saturday that Pope Benedict “will announce” a consistory during the Synod for the Middle East and added that it “could” come out at the general audience on Oct. 20. The Special Assembly will take place in Rome from Oct. 10-24, Tosatti believes.
Explaining that “at least” 19 posts will be available to meet the 120-voter limit by January, the La Stampa journalist went on to name several of those who will likely receive the “red hats.”
He said with certainty that four dicastery heads of the Roman Curia will be elected including Archbishops Angelo Amato from the council for saints’ causes, Raymond Leo Burke of the Apostolic Signatura, Kurt Koch from ecumenical relations and Gianfranco Ravasi of culture.
SIC: CTH/ASIA