Pope Benedict is embarking on a series of far-reaching reforms at the most senior levels of the Catholic hierarchy, writes Jim Cantwell
Pope Benedict XVI's first consistory to create new cardinals in Rome today takes place on the 80th birthday of Desmond Connell. From today the Archbishop-emeritus of Dublin forfeits a cardinal's most important prerogative, the right to vote in a papal election.
His elimination adds another vacancy to the 11 already existing in the electoral college. These places will be filled by 12 of the new cardinals, bringing the number of electors up to the maximum of 120 permitted by regulations governing a papal election. Dr Connell was the first Irish cardinal for 46 years to attend a conclave. His votes helped elect Pope Benedict last April.
When, in November 1970, Pope Paul VI decreed the age limit of 80 for cardinals attending a papal election it caused a minor sensation. Since 1059, all cardinals had the right to be electors and few believed that the pope would overturn 900 years of history. But Paul VI did so, and he went on to enshrine the decree in the constitution for a papal election promulgated in 1975. His justification was expressed succinctly in the title of the decree, Ingravescentum Aetatem (The Increasing Burden of Old Age).
This had a definite logic, since a post-Second Vatican Council reform had already required bishops to offer their resignations at 75. Nevertheless, the decision stimulated a lively debate. Some even argued that by removing from cardinals their most ancient and important right and privilege on grounds of age could call into question the validity of the papal election.
At the first meeting of the College of Cardinals after Pope Paul's death in 1978, two octogenarians raised the issue, but the discussion was brief. The college affirmed the validity of the provision: the Pope had "the prerogative, right and duty" to determine how the election was to be conducted and cardinals had no authority to alter the constitution.
There was speculation that Pope John Paul II might lift the restriction because in the period 1979-94 he had created 10 cardinals who were already over 80.
But his revised constitution, issued a decade ago, emphasised that he did not wish "to add to the weight of such a venerable age the further burden of responsibility for choosing the one who will lead Christ's flock in ways adapted to the needs of the times". By elevating some octogenarians, such as Vatican Council luminaries like Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar, he was effectively conferring on them a sort of ecclesiastical knighthood for services to the church. Three of today's 15 new cardinals are being similarly honoured.
By opting - unlike his predecessor - not to derogate from the constitutional regulation limiting the number of cardinals-electors to 120, Pope Benedict has made it very clear that he, too, does not plan to lift the age restriction.
So from today, Ireland has two cardinals but no elector. Desmond Connell will join 88-year-old Cahal Daly and 71 other cardinals disqualified by age.
A number of important decisions taken by Pope Benedict recently are likely to have downstream effects on the College of Cardinals.
He has begun to reform the unwieldy second-tier structures of the Roman Curia, focusing initially on the pontifical councils, of which there are 10. Having assigned Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, to be nuncio in Egypt, the Pope merged that department with the Council for Culture two weeks ago. At the same time he accepted the resignation of Cardinal Stephen Hamao and united the Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, of which Dr Hamao had been president since 1998, with the Council for Justice and Peace.
The mergers were described as "for now", which suggests the Pope has in mind extensive reform of second-tier departments. A further indication of this is the fact that at today's consistory only three of the new cardinals are from the Curia. Significantly, they all occupy very senior positions unlikely to be affected by upcoming modifications.
At last year's conclave 20 per cent of the cardinal-electors were from the Curia and the Pope seems intent on changing that. He has decided not to include four prelates who would have been obvious nominees for the cardinal's hat in the past - the official papal theologian since November (Fr Wojciech Giertych, OP), the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, the president of the Council for the Laity, and the archbishop-secretary of last year's papal election.
With eight curial cardinals currently aged 75 or over the Pope will have ample opportunity to put his own stamp on the structures of the Church's central government. The most important and imminent change involves the Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, effectively the Vatican's prime minister, who will be 79 in November.
However, the most significant developments are likely to follow from the overhaul of second-tier departments. It seems there will be fewer cardinals in the Curia.
Jim Cantwell is a former press secretary to the Irish Bishops' Conference and author of The Election of the Pope.