Pope Benedict XVI has named 23 new cardinals, on Wednesday. During a consistory, i.e. a special meeting of cardinals, which will take place on November 24, in the Vatican, the new elected cardinals will be elevated to their new ecclesiastical rank.

Only 18 of them will be eligible to be a part of the election for a new pope, due to the fact that these 18 are under the age of 80.

Among the most known figures who will assume the cardinal's scarlet are Paul Joseph Cordes of Germany, who is president of the Cor Unum Pontifical Council, Angelo Comastri of Italy, Stanislaw Rylko of Poland, Andre Vingt-Trois of France and Sean Brady of Ireland.

The new cardinals come from all four continents of the world, such as, Archbishop of Mumbai Oswald Gracias or other who come from Spain, Senegal, Kenya, Mexico or India. This symbolizes and reflects the universality of the church, Pope Benedict told 30,000 believers after a general audience in St Peter's Square.

There are also two cardinals from United States. Daniel N. DiNardo, the 58-year-old archbishop of Galveston-Houston, who was elevated archbishop last year and is the first cardinal to be named from Texas.

These are not the first cardinals that Pope Benedict created. He already made 15 new cardinals in March 2006 at his first consistory since becoming pontiff.

The new rank and title will only be effective after the consistory, when they will be given by the pope the decree of elevation, their ring and scarlet “biretto”, the four-cornered silk hat.

After November 24, when Benedict’s second consistory will take place, there will be a number of 197 cardinals, from which only 120 will be eligible to take part in the conclave that elects a new pope.

The present Pope will be appointing fewer new cardinals than his predecessor, the former Pope, John Paul II, who sometimes had 135 elector cardinals under him.