Pope’s New Cardinals May Rile Hungary’s Orban, Rebuild Bridges With Ukraine
Source: Balkan Insight
Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he has tapped 21 new men to join the Catholic Church’s College of Cardinals. Cardinals are nicknamed the “princes of the Church” and the 140 or so men who occupy this position are viewed as the Pope’s “seconds-in-command”. When the Pope dies, all eligible cardinals gather to vote on a successor who also comes from among their ranks. Only those under age 80 may vote.
Historically, popes have used the choice of new cardinals to underscore their agendas and established their legacies. In his 11 years in office, Pope Francis has done both by selecting cardinals who serve in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other places where the Church is growing fastest. This time around is no different, with the vast majority of the new voting-age cardinals currently serving outside Europe (excluding new cardinals with Vatican positions).
Pope Francis has not abandoned Europe, however. Mykola Bychok, the youngest nominee, will become the youngest cardinal at 44 years old. A bishop in Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, he was born in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, although he currently serves in Australia.
Another new cardinal, Ladislav Nemet, Archbishop of Belgrade, is a member of Serbia’s ethnic-Hungarian minority and actively comments on Hungarian affairs.
Far from ignoring Europe, with these choices Pope Francis has announced his intent to stay involved in two major political issues facing Europe: the war in Ukraine and migration.
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
