With a solemn ceremony to create new cardinals, Pope Francis was poised Saturday to formally expand the ranks of churchmen now eligible to vote for his successor in case he dies or resigns — the latter a step he has said he’d consider if the need arises.
Of the 20 churchmen being raised to the rank of cardinal in St. Peter’s Basilica, 16 are younger than 80 and thus eligible to participate in a conclave — the ritual-shrouded, locked-door assembly of cardinals who cast paper ballots to elect a new pontiff.
By now, the 85-year-old Francis has named more than half of the elector cardinals. That bolsters the prospects that whoever becomes the next pontiff will share his vision for the future of the church.
In choosing San Diego Bishop Robert Walter McElroy, Francis passed over U.S. churchmen leading traditionally more prestigious dioceses, including San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.
McElroy has been among the few American bishops who questioned why the U.S. bishops conference insists on identifying abortion as its “preeminent” priority. Echoing the pope’s concerns, he has questioned why greater prominence isn’t given to poverty, immigration and climate change.
He is also among a minority of U.S. bishops opposed to a campaign to deny Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. Cordileone has said he’d no longer allow House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive Communion for her defense of abortion rights.