PNG cardinal among 130 others eligible to elect next Pope

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APOSTOLIC Nuncio Archbishop Kurian Mathew Vayalunkal says Cardinal Sir John Ribat is among the 130 cardinals who are eligible to elect the next Pope.
He said cardinals were advisers to the Pope as whenever there were issues, world matters and church matters, he would sit with the cardinals to discuss solutions.
“That is one of our greatest achievements as one of the sons of this soil will be taking part in the decision-making of the universal church,” he said.
“He will be here in Port Moresby serving as the archbishop of this diocese and the cardinal for the universal church.”
Vayalunkal said the practice of appointing cardinals as parish priests went back in history.
“In the first century, the Pope elected cardinals from within Rome to become parish priests as he himself is the bishop of the diocese of Rome,” Vayalunkal said.
But today, he said the Pope elected cardinals from outside the territory of Rome. They are then given a parish each to look after of which the Pope is the Bishop.