1. Secret Cardinals The College of Cardinals is made up of about 120 senior bishops from around the world whom the Pope has chosen to elect his replacement. Upon the death or resignation of the Pope, they meet in Rome to elect a new one, almost always from among their own ranks. Only cardinals under the age of 80 may vote. However, what most people don’t know is that there are a handful of bishops throughout the world whom the pope has secretly chosen as cardinals. For a variety of reasons, usually out of concern for security, the Pope chooses not to reveal their names, sometimes even to the men themselves. This is most common when the cardinal resides in a country where he may face reprisals from his government or face other types of persecution. The late Pope John Paul II secretly elevated four bishops to cardinals. One of them was from China, another from Latvia, and one from Ukraine. Their identities were revealed near or a...
Comments
Post a Comment