Pope Francis has announced his choice of 21 new cardinals, including a South African from Cape Town.
They will be formally installed to the posts in September.
“Where they come from expresses the universality of the church, which continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all people of the earth,” the pope said of the cardinals-elect, according to the outlet Vatican News.
Among the pope’s picks, which he announced in St. Peter’s Square during his weekly appearance, are other prelates from Jerusalem and Hong Kong, where Catholics are a minority.
Also on the list are the archbishops of Bogota, Columbia; Cape Town, South Africa; Madrid, Spain; and, Poland, according to Vatican News.
Cardinals serve as advisers to the pope on matters of teaching and administration, including finances, and they’re also tasked with electing the successor to the sitting pope.
The cardinals-elect are set to be installed with a consistory on September 30, Pope Francis said in his announcement.