VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI has named 22 new cardinals, announcing he will elevate them in a formal ceremony Feb. 18.
They include prelates from New York, Hong Kong, Berlin, Prague, Toronto and Florence Italy, and some key Vatican offices.
Cardinals are the pope's key advisers and are members of the group that will eventually elect Benedict's successor.
The pope announced the names "with great joy" following an Epiphany Mass that ends the Vatican top Christmas celebrations.
© 2012 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
