Francis names 17 cardinals: 13 of whom electors, 3 from USA

Pope Francis waves to faithful as leaves at the end of a jubilee mass he celebrated in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. Pope Francis has named 17 new cardinals _ 13 of them under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect his successor. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Pope Francis waves to faithful as leaves at the end of a jubilee mass he celebrated in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016. Pope Francis has named 17 new cardinals _ 13 of them under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect his successor. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

By Associated Press October 9, 2016 2 min read

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis named 17 new cardinals Sunday – 13 of them under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect his successor. Three of the new cardinals are Americans, including leading U.S. moderate Chicago Archbishop Blaise Cupich and Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin.

As is Francis’ tradition, the new cardinals hail from some of the most far-away and peripheral corners of the globe, with Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania getting far more representation than Europe, which has long dominated the College of Cardinals.

New to the club of the “princes” of the church are bishops from Bangui, Central African Republic; Port Louis, Mauritius and Tlalnepantla, Mexico.

Significantly only one Italian elector was named: Francis’ ambassador to “the beloved and martyred Syria,” Cardinal-elect Mario Zenari.

Francis said the 17 would be elevated at a consistory on Nov. 19, on the eve of the close to his Holy Year of Mercy.