Religion: Eight New Hats

Busy, ancient (78) Pope John XXIII acted again last week to strengthen the Curia—administrative headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church—which has suffered in recent years from understaffing and old age. For Dec. 14 the Pope called a consistory (his second) at which eight new cardinals will be created, raising the membership of the Sacred College to 79, the largest in history.

Two of the new cardinals will be U.S. citizens, bringing U.S. membership in the college to an alltime high of six—ranking in number of cardinals third (after France with seven and ahead of...

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