The Bishop of Ekwulobia, Peter Okpaleke, is set to be sworn in as one of the 20 new cardinals of the Catholic Church. The event is said to be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
It will be recalled that some weeks back, Okpaleke was named by Pope Francis as one of the new cardinals. It is assumed that one of the new cardinals is likely to succeed him in the future.
The new cardinals are from various countries including India, Nigeria, Brazil and Singapore. They are notable for their pastoral work and progressive views.
After their swearing-in at St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, there will be a two-day meeting of all cardinals which will be starting on Monday. The newly ordained cardinals are expected to be there.
The aim of the meeting is to discuss the new constitution of the pope which will oversee the operation of the church. The meeting was initially scheduled for earlier in the year. However, it was assumed that the meeting triggered the rumour that the pope is on his way out of his position.
It will be recalled that the pope has cancelled several events because of knee pain. It has also made him use a wheelchair. In July 2022, he noted that he is open to stepping down from his position.
After the ordination on Saturday, it would mean that the pope has selected about 90 out of the 132 cardinals eligible to elect a new pope. This makes it two-thirds of the total which is the percentage needed for any proposed name to pass.
Some persons have said that these cardinals are options for the next pope of the church. However, Vatican specialist, Bernard Lecomte told AFP that this is not always the case.
He said, “We always have the impression there will be continuity, but in reality, history has shown the opposite.”
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