VATICAN CITY, FEB. 21, 2001(Zenit.org).- With the creation of 44 new cardinals today, John Paul II has almost totally altered the composition of the College of Cardinals. Fewer than half of the electors, who are eligible to vote for a new pope, are from Europe.
As of today, the Church has 184 cardinals, 135 of whom are electors, the remaining being older than 80 and ineligible to vote in a conclave. Today, Spanish Cardinal Antonio María Javierre, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, celebrated his 80th birthday.
The college now is composed of 96 cardinals from Europe (65 electors); 18 from North America (13 electors), 33 from Latin America (27 electors), 16 from Africa (13 electors), 17 from Asia (13 electors), and 4 from Oceania (all electors).
Italy has the largest number of cardinals, 40 (including 24 electors). The United States is second with 13 (11 electors). Then comes Germany with 9 (7 electors); Brazil with 8 (7 electors); Spain with 7 (4 electors); Poland with 6 (5 electors); and France with 6 (5 electors).
Among the Latin American cardinals, in addition to the 8 Brazilians, there are 4 from Mexico (3 electors); 4 from Argentina (2 electors); 3 from Colombia (all electors); 3 from Chile (2 electors); 3 from Venezuela (2 electors), and one each from Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru and Bolivia.
Canada has 5 cardinals (2 electors). Austria has 4 (1 elector); India also has 4 (3 electors). The latter has the largest number of seminarians in the world.
