17 December 2010

Predicting the Next Consistories to Create Cardinals

So the Consistory to create new cardinals in 2010 is now history. Its time to look ahead again and see if the next one (or three) can be predicted.

Lets take a quick look at the history of Pope Benedict XVI's cardinal creating consistories.
In recent history, these consistories typically fall near (often the day before) a major feast. For Benedict, it has been the Annunciation of the Lord (2006) and Christ the King (2007, 2010). Pope John Paul II used Sts Peter & Paul (1979, 1988, 1991), Presentation of the Lord (1983), Pentecost (1985), Christ the King (1994), and the 25th Anniversary of his election to the papacy (2003).

So now for the serious guess-work. The numbers below assume no voting age cardinals die and that at each consistory the number of voting cardinals becomes 120.

Scenario A:
  1. Corpus Christi, 2012 (10 Jun): 15 open voting slots
  2. Christ the King, 2013 (24 Nov): 16 open voting slots
  3. Christ the King, 2015 (22 Nov): 19 open voting slots
Scenario B:
  1. Corpus Christi, 2012 (10 Jun): 15 open voting slots
  2. Pentecost, 2014 (19 May): 21 open voting slots
  3. Pentecost, 2016 (15 May): 20 open voting slots
Scenario C:
  1. Christ the King, 2012 (25 Nov): 21 open voting slots
  2. Pentecost, 2014 (19 May): 15 open voting slots
  3. Pentecost, 2016 (15 May): 19 open voting slots
Scenario D:
  1. Christ the King, 2012 (25 Nov): 21 open voting slots
  2. Christ the King, 2014 (23 Nov): 21 open voting slots
  3. Christ the King, 2016 (20 Nov): 21 open voting slots
I think that Scenario A is the most likely. Followed by C, B, and D. Of course, I could be wrong about all of them.

Pre-Pope John Paul II Bishops

With the year almost complete, its time to revisit the listing the pre-Pope John Paul II bishops. So here is a fresh list - with 6 fewer entries than the last.

So on to the question: How many active bishops were appointed to their current post before Pope John Paul II became Pope?

The answer is Twenty Five ordinaries and Three auxiliary bishops.

The ordinaries are: (Date of Appointment, Date of Birth, Name, Title)
and the Auxiliaries:
  • 20 Nov 1973, 10 Jan 1935, Bishop Pawel Socha, C.M., Auxiliary Bishop of Zielona Góra-Gorzów, Poland and Titular of Thunigaba
    (Original name of Diocese was Gorzów)
  • 12 Jul 1975, 7 Sep 1930, Bishop Roland Aboujaoudé, Auxiliary of Antiochia {Antioch} (Maronite), Lebanon and Titular of Arca in Phoenicia dei Maroniti
  • 28 Nov 1977, 25 Nov 1936, Bishop Kenneth Donald Steiner, Auxiliary of Portland in Oregon, USA and Titular of Avensa
Bishop Francis Hong Yong-ho was named by Pope Pius XII. Although he is still officially listed as "missing" it seems unlikely that he remains alive.

Bishop Joseph Dao was named by Pope John Paul I.

All of the others were named by Pope Paul VI.

You'll notice that many of them are at or near the retirement age. Before they do retire, let us take a moment to thank them for their many years of service!

02 December 2010

View of Rome from the Dome of St. Peter′s Basilica

A panorama created from some photos that I took today from the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica.