The new cardinals will get their red hats at a ceremony, known as a consistory, on Dec. 8, an important feast day on its own that officially kicks off the Christmas season in Rome.

Pope Francis has chosen 21 new cardinals in a move that once again shows his determination to reshape the group of churchmen who will elect his successor.

Pope Francis will create 21 new cardinals on December 8, 20 of whom can vote for a new pope. Among them are Frank Leo, archbishop of Toronto, and Timothy Radcliffe, former master of the Dominicans.

Pope Francis Sunday announced a consistory in December for the creation of 21 new cardinals from all over the world, representing yet again the pope’s love of the peripheries, and his inclination to reward key allies.

The last consistory to create new cardinals took place on Sept. 30, 2023. The new cardinals included Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; Cardinal Stephen Chow of Hong Kong; and Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Pope Francis announced at the Angelus Sunday that a Consistory will be held on December 8 for the creation of 21 new cardinals. The new princes of the Church will come from all over the world, he said.