Pope Francis to appoint 21 new cardinals

Pope Francis on Sunday said he plans to promote 21 clerics to the rank of cardinal in December.

The pontiff made the announcement in a speech addressing worshippers in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican.

The step significantly expands the size of the College of Cardinals, the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church, who eventually will vote in a conclave to elect Francis' successor.

The ceremony is scheduled for December 8 in the Vatican.

Some 20 of the 21 new cardinals would be eligible to vote in a potential conclave, a papal election, as all those under the age of 80 may participate in electing a new pope.

The vast majority of currently eligible cardinals were appointed by the pontiff during his 11-year tenure and this proportion is set to rise following the latest expansion. The appointments enable Francis to exert significant influence on the selection of his successor.

As in the past, Francis opted for bishops and archbishops from non-European countries, with the selection including clerics from Indonesia, Japan, Iran and Algeria.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, is also to select churchmen from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.