Benedict inducts 22 more cardinals

POPE Benedict yesterday inducted 22 men into the exclusive group of cardinals who will one day elect one of their own to succeed him as leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics.

Among the most prominent in the group is New York’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is already being touted by some Vatican experts as a possible future candidate to become the first American pope.

Benedict, who turns 85 in April and is showing signs of his age, elevated the men to the highest church rank below him at a ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica known as a consistory.

“Cardinals are entrusted with the service of love: love for God, love for his Church, an absolute and unconditional love for his brothers and sisters, even unto shedding their blood, if necessary [in defence of the faith],” Pope Benedict told the new cardinals before giving them their rings and red birettas, or hats.

“Furthermore, they are asked to serve the Church with love and vigour, with the transparency and wisdom of teachers, with the energy and strength of shepherds, with the fidelity and courage of martyrs,” he said.

The new cardinals are from the United States, Hong Kong, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, India, Canada, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, and Malta.

Eighteen of them are aged under 80 and thus will be eligible to enter a secret conclave to elect the next pope from among their own ranks.

Twelve of those are Europeans, bringing the number of “cardinal electors” from the continent to 67 out of 125.

Latin America now has 22, North America has 15, Africa has 11, Asia has nine and Oceania has one.