Pope Francis announced, yesterday, after the recitation of the Angelus, the appointment of 21 Cardinals, among them is D. Américo Aguiar, president of the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation.
It was from the window of the Apostolic Palace that Pope Francis announced yesterday the creation of 21 more Cardinals, including 18 future electors. Emphasis on the choice of D. Américo Aguiar and also Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians.
The College of Cardinals had, until now, 222 members (121 voters, 101 over 80 years old), including five Portuguese: D. Manuel Clemente, Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon; D. António Marto, Bishop Emeritus of Leiria-Fátima; D. José Tolentino Mendonça, Perfect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education; all nominated by Pope Francis and voters in an eventual conclave; D. Manuel Monteiro de Castro, chief penitentiary emeritus; and D. José Saraiva Martins, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, both of whom are over 80 years old.
At the age of 49, D. Américo Aguiar will be the second youngest member of the College of Cardinals and the fourth Portuguese Cardinal created in the current pontificate.
For D. Américo Aguiar, this “is a tribute to Portugal, a tribute to the Portuguese, a tribute to Portuguese youth”. In his opinion, Pope Francis intended to “honor youngsters, value them and do what he tells us to do: give youngsters the possibility of being protagonists of history, of their lives”.
The Consistory is scheduled for September 30, at the Vatican, on the eve of the start of the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 4 to 29, 2023).
