POPE BENEDICT XV1 CREATES 22 NEW CARDINALS......18 OF THEN UNDER THE PIVOTAL AGE OF 80............

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, celebrated the Christmas Epiphany Solemnity today by by announcing the the elevation of 22 members of the Church Hierarchy, to the College of Cardinals.  Cardinals are the chief advisors to the Pope from around the World.  Their key responsibility is to Elect a New Pope.  Eighteen of the twenty two newly named so called, "Princes of the Church", are under the age 80, which allows them to cast votes in the next Papal Conclave.  Two Americans, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, and former Baltimore Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, currently Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, in Rome, are included on the list of the 22 new Red Hats, Cardinals are given upon their elevation at the Consistory; which was announced for February 8th, in Rome.  Sixteen Europeans, including seven Italians are also among those chosen.  The fourth Consistory of new Cardinals, since +Benedict XV1, became Pope in 2005, the current Holy Father has named almost half of the electors of his eventual successor.  Today's announcement brings to twelve the number of American Cardinals.  As with Archbishop Dolan, at the first Consistory after his Installation in New York, today's list did not include the new first year Archbishop of Los Angeles.  In both instances their predecessors were under 80. thus retaining an elector in the next Conclave, as does Cardinal Emeritus Roger Mahony, of Los Angeles............Fr.  Troy