Pope Francis Appoints 21 New Cardinals

Pope Francis appointed 21 new cardinals today, significantly increasing the number of electors who will have the right to vote for his successor. This announcement was made during a ceremony known as a "consistory" held in St. Peter's Square, where Pope Francis stated, "Diversity is necessary, it is indispensable." The cardinals appointed by the Pope are the "princes of the Church" marked by red hats, who are the Pope's closest advisors in the Vatican and across the globe. There are now 137 cardinals eligible to vote, with the Pope having chosen about 73 percent of them. The new cardinals come from the United States, France, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, South Africa, Spain, Colombia, South Sudan, Hong Kong, Poland, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Portugal. This marks the first time a cardinal has been appointed from South Sudan and the second from Malaysia, as part of Pope Francis's policy of giving more recognition to countries that have often experienced the ravages of war or where Catholics are a minority.