With the mini Consistory of the weekend before last - a brief
ceremony during which the Pope imposed the biretta on six new cardinals,
making them members of one of the world’s most exclusive “clubs”, that
of the Pope’s electors – Benedict XVI wanted to make up for the very
Curial and Italian Consistory held last February, sending out a clear
signal about the Church’s universality. He also admitted the 55 year old archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, an emerging figure in the Asian Episcopate and a potential future Pope, to the College of Cardinals.
As of today, the number of cardinal electors (cardinals who are under the age of 80), returns to the established limit of 120. Of these, 67 were nominated by Ratzinger and they make up 56% of the voting college.
The future conclave will therefore be affected by the choices made by Benedict XVI over the past seven years, even though the events that took place during the last papal election indicate the need for caution: in 2005 the electors of Pope Wojtyla’s successor chose one of the only two cardinals who did not owe their position as cardinals to John Paul II, i.e. Joseph Ratzinger.
But Europe and Italy still retain considerable influence - even in light of yesterday’s Consistory. There are 62 European cardinal electors (52% of the entire electoral body). 28 of these are Italian (23% of voting cardinals). North America has 14 electors, while Latin America has 21, Africa and Asia 11 and Oceania has 1.
Despite the College of Cardinals’ drive for internationalisation, which Pius XII had given strong impetus to, cardinal percentages still reflect Old Europe’s heavy influence and are not in tune with the development and expansion of Catholicism in the last half century.
Indeed, according to the latest statistics published, which compare figures from 2010 to those of the previous year, the number of Catholics in Africa and Asia are growing, whereas in Europe they are dropping. Even in terms of priest numbers, Europe’s figure is negative (-905) whereas an increase can be seen in Africa (+761) and Asia (+1,695).
But Consistories do not seem to reflect this trend. During the last two pontificates, the number of Africans being created cardinals was low while the Curia was awash with Europeans.
At the moment there are no particular concerns regarding Benedict XVI’s health.
He will be celebrating his 86th birthday next April.
But everyone is aware of his increased frailty so it is only normal for people to ask themselves at each Consistory - as was the case when Wojtyla was still Pope - which cardinals could be the likeliest and most suitable candidates for the papacy.
While the favourite during the last Consistory was the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, it now appears to be Filipino cardinal, Tagle. He is considered to be too young for the papacy, should a conclave be held in the next two to three years but his influence is nevertheless destined to grow.