The pope has made a surprise announcement while addressing the faithful at the Vatican, announcing a group of new cardinals who could help ensure Francis' eventual successor will continue his legacy.
Image: Claudio Peri/ANSA/picture-alliance
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Pope Francis named 13 new Roman Catholic cardinals on Sunday. Nine of the new cardinals are under the age of 80, making them eligible to elect his successor.
The move increases the likelihood that the next pope will be a man who continues the pontiff's policies.
Francis made the surprise announcement from his studio window to people on St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. He said the men would be elevated to the rank of cardinal in a ceremony on November 28.
Among the new electors under the age of 80 is Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first Black US prelate to be elevated to cardinal. Wilton was tapped by Francis to lead the diocese in the US capital last year and has served as head of the US Conference of Bishops three times.
Also named was Antoine Kambanda, the archbishop of Kigali, Rwanda; Jose Fuerte Advincula, the archbishop of Capiz, Philippines; and Celestino Aos Braco, the archbishop of Santiago, Chile.
The four non-electors above the age of 80 are being elevated to the cardinal's rank because of their long service to the Roman Catholic Church. They include the Vatican's 86-year-old long-time papal preacher Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan friar.
No details about the consistory, the name of the formal ceremony to elevate the men to cardinals, were provided by the Vatican.
Highlights of the Raphael anniversary exhibition in Rome
Italian master painter Raphael died 500 years ago. A museum in Rome showcases the Renaissance artist's masterpieces, on loan from prestigious museums all over the world.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
Renaissance pop artist
Raphael died at the age of 37, but he was celebrated as an artistic genius during his lifetime. He enjoyed the privilege of being known only by his first name; his full name was Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. Admirers also called him the "Divine." His talent was interpreted as a sign of special closeness to God.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
Pope Julius II
The head of the Catholic Church brought Raphael to the Vatican in 1508. At the time, the artist was only 24 years old but already wildly popular. At the Vatican, he created many of his major works, including the frescoes in what have become known as the Raphael Rooms. The frescos in four of the Apostolic Palace's rooms are regarded as Renaissance masterpieces.
In Rome, famous personalities — including, of course, the two popes — commissioned portraits by Raphael. The above painting shows Pope Leo X, who followed Julius II to the papacy in 1513. Leo X commissioned the Raphael Rooms as well as the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. The fact that both papal portraits can be seen together at the exhibition is a sensation.
Image: picture-alliance/Photo12/A. Ronan
Madonna and child
Raphael painted a large number of portraits of the Madonna (above, "Madonna dell'Impannata" from 1511). The painting is not stylized but shows an actual woman interacting with her child — that made it special. The works radiate a timeless calm and loving attention that still fascinates today.
Image: Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali e del Turismo/Gabinetto fotografico delle Gallerie degli Uffizi
Busy workshop
The Madonna motif (above, "La Madonna della Rosa, 1518 – 1520) continued to be in high demand so Raphael took to employing students who painted for him at his workshop. In some cases, it is not clear how many brushstrokes are Raphael's and what parts of the painting were completed by his students.
Image: Museo Nacional del Prado
Love for detail
Raphael's work style was unusually complex. Before he started an oil painting, he would make a large number of sketches that went through various stages. In between, he studied figures, postures and also muscle tension, as in the above drawing.
