Pope Francis has announced the creation of 21 new cardinals, emphasizing the global representation of the Catholic faith.
The new cardinals will be officially appointed at a conference on December 8. Five of the cardinals come from Latin America, the pope's home region, and others hail from nations such as Indonesia, Japan, Serbia, the Philippines, and India.
During his Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis stated, "I am pleased to announce that on December 8, I will hold a consortial for the appointment of new cardinals."
He highlighted that the diverse origins of the appointees reflect the Church's universal nature and strong connection between the Vatican and churches worldwide.
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Italy will have the most significant representation, with four new cardinals, although due to age restrictions, only three will be eligible to vote in future papal elections.
Notably, at 44 years old, Mykola Bychok, the archbishop of Melbourne, is the youngest among the new appointees.