Pope Francis announced the names of 15 prelates who will become Cardinals next month, with most of them coming from the developing world where the Catholic Church is thriving.

“. . . (O)n February 14 next I will have the joy of holding a Consistory, during which I will name 15 new Cardinals who, coming from 13 countries from every continent, manifest the indissoluble links between the Church of Rome and the particular Churches present in the world,” the pope said during the Angelus address yesterday.

The choices surprised no one as the Pope continues to rebalance the College of Cardinals to better represent the body of the Church and include prelates from countries where the Church is growing.

“The most evident criteria is . . . that of universality,” explained Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, S.J. according to Vatican Radio. “Fourteen different countries are represented, including some that do not currently have a Cardinal, and some that have never had one.”

These countries include Capo Verde, Tonga, and Myanmar.

“These countries have ecclesial communities that are small or that represent a minority within their country,” Father Lombardi explained. “The Bishop of Tonga is the President of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific; the Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde is one of the most ancient African Dioceses.”

The pope also appointed Archbishop Alberto Suarez Inda of the Diocese of Morelia in Mexico which is a region troubled by violence.

The list of new cardinals includes bishops from Uruguay, Panama, Thailand and New Zealand.

Francis also named five Archbishops and Bishops Emeriti to the College of Cardinals who distinguished themselves for their “pastoral charity in the service of the Holy See and of the Church.”

“If the retired Archbishops and Bishops are counted, eighteen countries are represented. There are no new Cardinals from North America (the USA or Canada) because they already have a significant number, and that number has remained stable during the past year,” Father Lombardi said.

The Pope is asking the faithful to keep the new Cardinals in their prayers:

“Let us pray for the new Cardinals, that, renewed in their love for Christ, they might be witnesses of His Gospel in the City of Rome and in the world, and with their pastoral experience they might support me more intensely in my apostolic service.”

Click here for a complete list of the new cardinals.

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