The Holy Father has done it again: 21 new prelates of his liking to be made cardinals on 8 December. By this stage of the Francis papacy the list comes as no surprise. Obvious contenders have been passed over once again, while people no one has heard of make their first appearance on the world stage.
At the same time, some of those obvious contenders have actually made the cut: among them the Archbishops of Toronto and Turin and high-ranking functionaries like the vicar-general of the Diocese of Rome. Meanwhile, retired nuncio Archbishop Angelo Arcebi has been made a Prince of the Church at the grand old age of 99. He will not be voting at the next conclave, whether he lives to see it or not.
