Tanzania and South-Sudan produce new Cardinals in East Africa as Pope picks three from the continent

Archbishop Protase Rugambwa, Coadjutor Archbishop of Tabora who is among the 21 new cardinals appointed by Pope Francis, will be installed on September 30, 2023, at a consistory, in Vatican.

The Tanzanian Archbishop is one of the only three appointees from the continent, two of whom are based in East Africa as reported by Courtney Mares the Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency.

South-Sudan has produced the Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba.

South African Cardinal Appointee is Archbishop Stephen Brislin, the Archbishop of Cape Town.

On Sunday, July 9, 2023 Pope Francis said he will create 21 new cardinals, including the Vatican’s recently appointed doctrinal chief Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, at the consistory on September 30, 2023.

The 86-year-old pope made the announcement from a window overlooking the Saint Peter’s Square after reciting the Angelus prayer.

The other newly appointed cardinals include Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (United States); Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (Argentina) and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. (France)

There is also Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (Italy); Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, Apostolic Nuncio to Italy (Switzerland); Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan, S.J., Bishop of Hong Kong (China) and Archbishop José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid (Spain).

The Pope also appointed Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches (Italy); Archbishop Ángel Sixto Rossi, Archbishop of Córdoba (Argentina); Archbishop Luis Rueda Aparicio, Archbishop of Bogotá (Colombia); Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Lodz (Poland) and Bishop Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang in Malaysia.

Others are Bishop François-Xavier Bustillo, Bishop of Ajaccio (France); Bishop Américo Emanuel Alves Aguiar, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon (Portugal) and Father Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesian Order (Spain).

Three of the new cardinals are over the age of 80 and these are Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, apostolic nuncio (Italy); Archbishop Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez, Archbishop Emeritus of Cumanà (Venezuela) and Father Luis Pascual Dri, OFM Cap., Confessor at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has created 121 cardinals from 66 countries at eight consistories.

The last consistory to create new cardinals took place on August 27, 2022.

The new cardinals included Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego and Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Ten members of the College of Cardinals have turned 80 since the last consistory, thus losing their chance to participate in a future papal election. 

Seven more cardinals will turn 80 before the end of the year, including Cardinal Angelo Camastri and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri.

Immediately following the 2020 consistory, Pope Francis had appointed 83 of the members of the College of Cardinals eligible to vote in a future conclave. Benedict XVI had named 38 of the cardinal electors and John Paul II had appointed 11.

Ahead of the upcoming consistory, there are currently 121 cardinal electors, 81 (67 percent) of whom have been appointed by Pope Francis.