Whispers in the Loggia is reporting that it appears possible that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, will be elevating a significant number of bishops to cardinals come this November. Currently, there are 111 voting cardinals. By November, only 101 cardinals will be eligible to vote in a conclave due to the age restriction of 80 years. The maximum number of voting cardinals permitted at one time, based on the precedent established by Pope Paul VI, is 120. Thus, it is possible that Pope Benedict could name as many as 19 men as cardinals this November.
Whispers reports that over the next two years, were Pope Benedict to replace all of the 80 year old cardinals with new voting members, roughly half of the college of cardinals will be comprised of Benedict appointees. This is very significant, as these men will be selecting our next pope, and hence decide the direction of the Catholic Church in the years to come.
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I believe you mean Pope Paul VI, not Pius VI who was pope during the American and French Revolutions
Pope Paul VI established that no cardinal over 80 years of age could vote. It was John Paul II who set the maximum number of 120 voting cardinals.
If it doesn't happen in November,there will certainly be a consistory by next February.The old limit of 70 cardinals set by Sixtus V in the 1580s was abrogated by John XXIII in 1958,the voting rights of cardinals aged over 80 were abolished by Paul VI with effect from January 1st 1971 by the motu proprio Ingravescentam Aetatem in 1970,and the limit of 120 electors was set by Paul VI in the electoral constitution Romani Pontifici Elegendo in 1975.
John Paul II's 1996 electoral constitution Universi Domenici Gregis of 1996 merely restated this requirement (it is in section 33 of both documents).
I'd like to see the "over 80 don't vote" thing disposed of, except for the fact that all these miserable old heretical coots are finally reaching that age
Louis, that's what I thought. I'll restore the original text.
~Dr. K