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Pope Francis meets with the College of Cardinals on July 1, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 / 16:15 pm (CNA).

Out of the 21 cardinals who will be created Dec. 7 in Pope Francis’ 10th consistory at the Vatican, 10 new cardinals — almost half — are members of religious congregations or institutes.

Since the pope himself belongs to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and has consistently considered the presence of men religious in the College of Cardinals during his consistories, it’s not surprising that he would choose new cardinals from among the Church’s many congregations and institutes for men religious. 

What is unusual, however, is the large number of cardinals from religious orders and institutes named in this latest consistory and the diversity of communities represented.

The 10 religious are divided as follows:

• Three are Franciscans (two are Friars Minor and one Conventual).

• Two are from the Society of the Divine Word (Verbiti).

• Two are Dominicans.

• There is one each from the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo (Scalabrinians), and the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists).

The new cardinals are:

• Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, OFM, metropolitan archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador (Franciscan)

• Archbishop Jaime Spengler, OFM, metropolitan archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil; president of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference; and president of Latin American Episcopal Council, CELAM (Franciscan)

• Archbishop Dominique Joseph Mathieu, OFM Conv, archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan, Iran (Conventual Franciscan)

• Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, SVD, metropolitan archbishop of Tokyo and president of Caritas Internationalis (Society of the Divine Word/Verbiti)

• Archbishop László Német, SVD, metropolitan archbishop of Belgrade, Serbia (Society of the Divine Word/Verbiti)

• Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, OP, metropolitan archbishop of Algiers, Algeria (Dominican)

• Archbishop Vicente Bokalic Iglic, CM, archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Argentina (Congregation of the Mission/Vincentians)

• Bishop Mykola Byčok, CSSR, eparch of St. Peter and Paul of Melbourne of the Ukrainians in Australia (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer/Redemptorists)

• Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former master general of the Order of Preachers as well as current spiritual assistant of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (Dominican)

• Father Fabio Baggio, CS, undersecretary for the migrants and refugees section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo/Scalabrinians)

As noted, the new cardinals from religious communities make up almost half of the newest class and represent the largest group of men religious chosen in one consistory throughout Pope Francis’ nearly 12-year pontificate. The closest was in 2019, when eight of 13 new cardinals were men religious.

In all, out of the 163 cardinals created in the 10 consistories of his pontificate, Pope Francis has chosen 55 men religious from more than 20 religious communities. He has thus averaged between four and five men religious in each consistory.

Eight cardinals are Jesuits, including Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and two prominent figures of the pontificate: Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, who was also the relator general of the Synod on Synodality, and Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Six are Salesians, including Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, and Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero of Rabat, Morocco. The Capuchin Franciscans claim four members, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, who led the African bishops’ opposition to Fiducia Supplicans, which permitted blessings of same-sex couples; and Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the longtime preacher of the Papal Household. 

Other notable cardinals on the list are: the Redemptorist Joseph William Tobin, metropolitan archbishop of Newark, New Jersey; the Discalced Carmelite Anders Arborelius, bishop of Stockholm, Sweden, and a convert to Catholicism; the late Comboni Missionary Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, one of the leading experts in interreligious dialogue, who died at the end of November; the Consolata Missionary Giorgio Marengo, apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals; and the American-born Augustinian Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. 

After the latest consistory, among the living cardinals stretching back to the pontificate of St. John Paul II, there will be a total of 11 Salesians, nine Jesuits, five Capuchin Franciscans, five Friars Minor, four Dominicans, three Conventional Franciscan Friars, two Spiritans, two Claretians, two Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, two Missionaries of Africa (the White Fathers), two Redemptorists, two Society of the Divine Word (Verbites), and one from each of the following communities: Eudists, Schoenstatt Fathers, Cistercians, Augustinian Recollects, Congregation of Holy Cross, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,  Discalced Carmelites, Sulpicians, Mariamite Maronites, Scalabrinians, Legionaries of Christ, Consolata Missionaries, and the Augustinians. There are also two members of Opus Dei. 

A question that will be asked, of course, is whether cardinals who belong to religious communities are more heavily represented in the College of Cardinals under Pope Francis than his immediate predecessors. 

Among the 140 cardinal-electors after the conclusion of this latest consistory, there are now 35 cardinals who are religious, meaning they represent nearly 25% of the total body of voters. By comparison, in 2005, at the time of John Paul II’s death, there were 117 cardinal-electors who were eligible to participate in the subsequent conclave (two ultimately did not take part). Of these 20 were men religious, meaning they comprised 17% of the voters. 

In 2013, there were 115 cardinal-electors eligible to take part in the election of Pope Benedict XVI’s successor after his resignation. There were 18 men religious among the electors, comprising 15.5% of the voters. One of them, of course, was elected pope — the Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who took the name Francis. 

This story was based on a story first published by ACI Stampa, CNA's Italian-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Left to right: Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, Archbishop Fernando Chomali, Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo, Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, and Bishop Mykola Bychok, CSsR, will be made cardinals in a consistory on Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: EWTN News; Marco Mancini/ACI Stampa

Vatican City, Dec 6, 2024 / 15:45 pm (CNA).

Several cardinal-designates set to receive their red hats from Pope Francis this weekend emphasized the importance of serving the Church’s universal mission while addressing contemporary challenges facing their local Churches.

“I am with my heart, and I would say with my whole body, for a synodal vision, because already in my country in 2017, the vision of the Church was one of communion, serving everyone,” Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Abidjan told EWTN News on Dec. 6.

The Ivorian archbishop emphasized that his elevation reflects a broader recognition of the Church in Côte d’Ivoire.

“I think so, because personally I don’t feel so intellectual to receive the purple. It is the whole country that has had good relations with the Holy See, and then John Paul II went to Côte d’Ivoire three times,” he said.

Ukrainian voice on being chosen

At 44, Bishop Mykola Bychok, CSsR, will be among the youngest members ever elevated to the College of Cardinals.

“First of all, this is not my fault. I was called, and I was appointed by the Holy Father Francis. Why I was chosen? I don’t know. Maybe in future God will open or show me what was the main reason that actually I was appointed at age 44.”

The Ukrainian bishop pledged to use his new position to continue raising awareness about the ongoing war in his homeland. “Right now, Ukraine is at war. We are fighting for our independence, for religious freedom — for three years since the official invasion of the Russian Federation,” he said.

“Every night, drones and missiles are flying to Ukraine. In the last few days, my native city Ternopil, which is 250 kilometers from the border with Poland, was under attack, especially power plants, as well as some civilian buildings. That is the reality of the war,” he added.

Vatican diplomat sees missionary focus

Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas shared insights from his years of diplomatic service across several continents, emphasizing the Church’s fundamental missionary character.

“In every country I saw that the Church is so different, but that we have same roots, and we have the same tasks to do, and the task is always to remain missionary, in one country or in another country, on one continent or on another,” the Lithuanian prelate told CNA.

Archbishop Fernando Chomali of Santiago, Chile, stressed the need for Church leadership to face contemporary challenges with spiritual strength.

“I was delighted, I sensed a very great awareness of the responsibility of being a cardinal and especially thinking about those people who need a strong voice,” Chomali said.

“I have to think above all about the poor, those who are very much in need of someone to support them. Also, I have to take care especially of the young people who don’t have much hope right now in a very cold society.”

The Chilean prelate also addressed his country’s recent challenges. “We have worked strongly to end all forms of abuse — at the level of the parishes, at the level of the schools, university level, at the level of the dioceses, at all levels,” he said.

Dominican friar reflects on fraternity

Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe connected his new role to Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti.

“I look forward really to being of service to him [the Holy Father] in whatever way I can. Right at the beginning, I really don’t know what this will involve,” the English Dominican said. 

“I think for the Holy Father, his great encyclical Fratelli Tutti, all brothers and sisters, and I am a brother, so I hope as a brother of St. Dominic, I hope maybe I have some understanding, some little understanding of what it means to live fraternity today,” he said.

The consistory for the creation of new cardinals will take place Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica. The new cardinals will concelebrate Mass with Pope Francis the following day, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

null / Credit: 279photo Studio/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Dec 6, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

The White House is backing off from enforcing in Texas a U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) rule that allows children to obtain contraceptives without their parents’ consent, state officials said this week. 

This past July, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden Department of Health and Human Services over the change to Title X that eliminated parental consent requirements for minors accessing birth control.

Title X is the federal funding program for family planning and contraceptive services. Under the Biden administration’s rule, projects funded by the program “may not require consent of parents or guardians for the provision of services to minors.” 

The rule also said Title X staff could not “notify a parent or guardian before or after a minor has requested and/or received Title X family planning services.”

In a press release Thursday, Paxton’s office said the Biden administration has now informed a U.S. district court in the state that it will not attempt to “enforce the challenged regulation” in Texas.

“This effectively vacates the unlawful rule in Texas, and Attorney General Paxton filed a notice of dismissal,” the office said. 

“This result ensures that Texas health entities will not be forced to violate state law under threat of losing Title X funding.”

It is unclear if the federal government is dropping the requirement for the rest of the country or if its decision only applies to Texas. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. 

The attorney general’s office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Earlier this year the U.S. Senate rejected the “Right to Contraception Act,” which would have created a federal right to contraception with ramifications on religious freedom and protections for minors. 

The bill defined contraceptives broadly to include sterilizing drugs, both those “specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs.”

null / Credit: rarrarorro/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 6, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Eight Republican senators this week signed a letter opposing a provision to automatically register young women for the military draft along with men — a proposal that is included in a bill introduced by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, who chairs the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Reed included language that would force women to be registered for the selective service in the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025, which is an annual piece of legislation that funds the Department of Defense (DOD). 

This is the third time over the past four years that Senate Democrats included this provision in their initial NDAA proposal. 

Per the legislation, both men and women between the ages of 18 and 26 would automatically be registered into the Selective Service System. 

Under current law, men must register for the draft within 30 days of their 18th birthday and are eligible to be drafted until they turn 26, but registration is not done automatically. In the United States, women have never been forced to register for the draft.

“For the third time in four years, Democrats are attempting to force women into the draft,” the Republican senators, led by Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, wrote in a Dec. 5 letter directed to Reed and Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Armed Services committee.

“Let’s be clear: American women have a proud legacy of service in our armed forces, especially so because their service has always been voluntary,” the letter continued. 

“Never in our history have women been forced to register for the draft. Yet the Biden administration and Senate Democrats want to discard this long-standing tradition and force women to fight in wars against their own will,” the senators said.

The draft has not been used for more than 50 years. The last time someone was involuntarily drafted into the military was in 1973, near the end of the Vietnam War. For a president to authorize a draft, he would need the support of Congress.

“America’s daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers can decide to join the military themselves,” the senators wrote in their letter. 

“President Trump ran in part on a platform of avoiding World War III and ending the progressive policies infecting our military,” the letter added. “The American people gave him a resounding electoral mandate. The Senate should prioritize America’s national security instead of turning defense legislation into a tool of liberal social policy.”

The senators wrote that “we strongly urge you to remove the provision in the Senate version of the NDAA compelling women to register for [the draft],” adding that “Americans rejected social progressivism in 2024, and NDAA conferees should take this lesson to heart.” 

Seven Republican senators joined Hawley in signing the letter: Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Roger Marshall, and Eric Schmitt.

Like so many religious who continue to serve long after retirement age, Sr. Linda Werthman, RSM, 'goes where the need is'

An earthquake was recorded off the coast of northern California near the town of Eureka on Dec. 5, 2024. / Credit: Chiociolla/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Dec 6, 2024 / 11:25 am (CNA).

An earthquake and subsequent tsunami warning in northern California on Thursday led to widespread scurrying for higher ground, including the parish office of at least one Catholic church. 

The earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the magnitude scale, was felt at about 10:45 a.m. local time in Humboldt County, said Rex Atienza, office manager of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Arcata, which is about 1.5 miles north of Arcata Bay and about 6 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. 

“There was a big shake,” Atienza told CNA by telephone. “And after people started leaving the building and were outside, when I was in the doorway I could still feel the building moving from left to right.”

“It kept going. I would say maybe 20 to 30 seconds. Which seemed longer in real time,” he said. 

Several members of the parish staff left the parish grounds for high elevations. A nearby public school was also evacuated, he said.

Some people in the area went to a local high school, others to a supermarket, and two parish priests went to the Newman Center at nearby Cal Poly Humboldt, Atienza said. 

He said the parish building remained empty for about an hour and 45 minutes until he got an all-clear message from the Humboldt County regional government. 

Arcata is in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, where much of the early concern was centered. 

About 110 miles to the southeast, in Marin County, Father Gabriel Wankar felt the quake Thursday morning and rushed to the parish school of St. Anselm Catholic Church in Ross, where he is pastor. 

“I felt some strange movement but before I could know what was happening a tsunami alert went off on my phone and I realized what was happening. So, I immediately headed to the school to be with the kids,” Wankar told CNA by email. 

Kids and staff stayed in place, he said. No damage or injuries were reported. 

Ross is in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, where the Catholic schools’ central office sent principals a message saying that parents were welcome to pick up their children but that the Catholic schools would stay open unless public schools in the area closed. 

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami warning were national news for a portion of Thursday, as fears of a damaging series of long waves set off by the quake sent people near the coast scurrying for safer places. 

At 10:49 a.m. Pacific time Thursday the National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for the coast of Northern California and southern Oregon, based on an earthquake that took place in the Pacific Ocean about 45 miles southwest of Eureka, California. The agency canceled the tsunami warning a little more than an hour later, at 11:54 a.m., according to the National Tsunami Warning Center’s website. 

The northern coast of California near Cape Mendocino “is one of the most seismically active areas in the United States” and had five earthquakes “close to magnitude 7.0” before Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.