Pope Francis on Sunday announced he has chosen 21 new cardinals, including prelates from Jerusalem and Hong Kong – places where Catholics are a small minority – as he continues to leave his mark on the body of churchmen who will select his successor.
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The pope announced his picks during his customary weekly appearance to the public in St. Peter's Square, saying the ceremony to formally install the churchmen as cardinals will be held on Sept. 30.
Among those tapped are several prelates holding or about to assume major Vatican posts, including the archbishop from La Plata, Argentina, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, 59, whom the pope just named to lead the Holy See's powerful office for ensuring doctrinal orthodoxy a nd overseeing processing of allegations of sexual abuse against clergy worldwide.
The new cardinals also include Hong Kong Bishop Stephen Sau-yan Chow, 64, and the Vatican's top official in the Middle East, Monsignor Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 58, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
