Pope Francis creates 20 new cardinals who may choose his successor
Pope Francis is creating 20 new cardinals on Saturday, a further step in the preparation of his succession.
The consistory, the eighth of Francis' pontificate since his election in 2013, comes against a backdrop of speculation that the 85-year-old pope, who has been forced to use a wheelchair for several months due to knee pain, might step down one day.
At 4pm (1400 GMT) on Saturday, under the gilding of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Pope will create 20 new cardinals, among whom 16 "electors" - those under the age of 80 - will be able to participate in the future conclave.
The appointment of these senior prelates to assist the pope is being scrutinised by observers as an indication of the future spiritual leader of the 1.3 billion Catholics.
Sensitive to minority communities and to evangelisation, the Argentinean Jesuit has freed himself from the traditional choice of archbishops from large cities, preferring less expected profiles.
With five Asians, including two Indians, this consistory confirms the rise in power of this continent. It is also "representative of today's Church, with a large place for the southern hemisphere", where 80% of Catholics live, underlines Vatican expert Bernard Lecomte.
At the end of this consistory, the first since November 2020, Pope Francis will have chosen 83 cardinals out of the current total of 132 electors: almost two-thirds, the proportion necessary to elect a new pope, even if this choice is always unpredictable.
With 40% of the electors, Europe remains the most represented continent, ahead of South America and Asia (16% each), Africa (13%) and North America (12%).
Among the notable personalities is the American Robert McElroy, Bishop of San Diego in California, who is considered
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