Pope to Create New Batch of Cardinals in February

ABC News
December 11, 2014

Vatican City, 11 December 2014 (VIS) – A press conference was held today during which the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., announced the Holy Father's wish to convene a Consistory for the creation of new cardinals on 14 and 15 February 2015. He also announced two other important appointments: a meeting of the Council of Cardinals for the reform of the Roman Curia (9 to 11 February) and a meeting of the College of Cardinals (12 to 13 February) to discuss matters relating to the reorganisation of the Holy See.

Pope Francis will soon be adding to the group of churchmen which will elect his successor.

The Vatican said Thursday Francis would preside over a ceremony to create new cardinals Feb. 14. Their names weren't announced.

The February consistory, as the ceremony is known, will cap a busy two weeks with some of Francis' key initiatives taking shape: The pope's sex abuse commission is expected to meet for the first time with the full complement of members starting Feb. 6. Nine additional members ? including at least another victim of abuse ? were cleared this week by Francis.

In the days before the consistory, Francis' key cardinal advisers will meet and brief all other cardinals about plans to revamp and reform the Vatican bureaucracy.