Cardinal Gracias receives support: Pope appoints new coadjutor!

Cardinal Gracias receives support: Pope appoints new coadjutor!

Bombay, Indien - In the Vatican, Pope Francis has made an important personnel decision: the Indian cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, is providing a new Kadjutor ore bishop with John Rodrigues. This step is important, since Gracias is standing shortly before his 80th birthday, which is due on December 24, 2024, and thus exceeds the age limit for active diocesan bishops. Rodrigues, who previously led the Diocese of Poona and was an auxiliary bishop in Mumbai for ten years, is now in a position that may ensure the right to successor in the Archdiocese of Bombay. This appointment underlines the importance of Gracias, which has been at the forefront of the Archdiocese since 2006 and has been one of the Pope's important advisors on the Curial Council since 2013, such as Kap reported.

But this is not the only important message: In 2024, a total of 13 cardinals, including Gracias, will be 80 years old and can therefore no longer take part in future implies. As a result, the number of cardinals entitled to vote, which is currently 132, will fall to 119. A remarkable fact is that the first cardinal to retire in 2024, which is Nigerian Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan on January 29, 80. This has a significant impact on the structure of the Cardinal College, which has an essential influence on the choice of future popes, such as CNA Deutsch . These changes will clarify the dynamics within the Catholic Church.

The upcoming changes also illustrate the ongoing transformation in the highest management committee of the Catholic Church, while the terms of today's cardinals come to an end. The resignation of several important personalities, one of them is the emeritus archbishop of Abu Dhabi, John Onaiyekan, brings a breath of fresh air to the cardinal college and laid the foundation for future developments that will shape church events.