Pope Benedict XVI will call a consistory in November 2007 to name new members of the College of Cardinals, the Italian daily Il Messagero predicts.Andrea Tornielli, the Vatican-watcher for the daily Il Giornale, made a similar prediction early in July. Tornielli reported that his sources were preparing for a consistory on the eve of the feast of Christ the King.
The Vatican has not officially announced plans for a consistory, but rumors about the appointment of new cardinals have circulated in Rome for several months, and many observers had expected Pope Benedict to call a consistory earlier this year.
There are now 182 living cardinals, of whom 105 are below the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote in a papal conclave. Thus the number of cardinal-electors is well below the statutory limit of 120.
Two more cardinals will mark their 80th birthdays this autumn. Cardinal Edmund Szoka, the former president of the Vatican City governatorate, will be 80 on September 14.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the former Secretary of State, will turn celebrate his birthday on November 23.
Three more cardinals will turn 80 during 2008.
Several prelates are considered likely candidates to receive a red hat, since they occupy posts ordinarily held by a cardinal.
They include Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, the longtime sostituto, or second-ranking official in the Secretariat of State, who is now prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches; Archbishop John Foley, the American prelate who was the longtime head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications before his recent appointment as pro-Grandmaster of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre; and Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican "foreign minister" who is now president of the Vatican City governatorate.
Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa, the president of the Italian bishops' conference, is another very likely candidate for elevation.
Informed sources in Rome suggested, shortly after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, that the Pontiff was likely to call consistories fairly frequently, naming a small number of new cardinals on each occasion.
Thus far Pope Benedict has only held one consistory, in March 2006, naming 15 new cardinals.
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