March 2006 Consistory

The March 2006 Consistory was held on the 24th March 2006, and was the first consistory where Pope Benedict XVI created new cardinals. 
The announcement was made on the 22nd February that fifteen new cardinals would be created that year. 12 of them are under 80 years old, which is the age limit for participating in a conclave. This means that Benedict XVI has decided to continue with the tradition of having 120 cardinals, which was previously the practice, but had been discontinued by John Paul II. 
During the consistory, fifteen red cardinals' hats were taken in a ceremony in St. Peter's Square. After the liturgical prayers and Pope's address, the candidates kneeled before the Pope's biretta and took their cardinal titles. This was followed by prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, the Lord's Prayer, and other prayers. 
Three of the cardinals belong to the Roman Curia, and nine others lead bishoprics. The fifteen new cardinals come from eleven different countries. 
One of the cardinals who took part in the consistory, Father Albert Vanhoye, is not a bishop. Benedict XVI has followed tradition by naming a foremost theologian in the consistory. The Pope can choose whether or not to ordain the candidate as bishop. The two others are emeritus bishops. 
Name 	Born / died 	Country 	Other information
William Joseph Levada 	1936– 	USA 	Prefect of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Franc Rodé C.M. 	1934– 	Slovenia 	Prefect of Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Agostino Vallini 	1940– 	Italy 	Prefect of Apostolic Signatura
Jorge Urosa 	1942– 	Venezuela 	Archbishop of Valencia in Venezuela
Gaudencio B. Rosales 	1932– 	The Philippines 	Archbishop of Manila
Jean-Pierre Ricard 	1944– 	France 	Archbishop of Bordeaux
Antonio Cañizares Llovera 	1945– 	Spain 	Archbishop of Toledo
Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk 	1931– 	South Korea 	Archbishop of Seoul
Sean Patrick O'Malley O.F.M.Cap. 	1944– 	USA 	Archbisop of Boston
Stanislaw Dziwisz 	1939– 	Poland 	Archbishop of Kraków
Carlo Caffarra 	1938– 	Italy 	Archbishop of Bologna
Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B. 	1932– 	People's Republic of China / Hong Kong	Bishop of Hong Kong
Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo	1927– 	Italy 	
Peter Poreku Dery 	1918–2008	Ghana 	
Albert Vanhoye S.J. 	1923– 	Belgium/France 	
==External links==
* Pope's prayers at ceremony in St. Peter's Square (in multiple languages)
Category:Holy See
Category:2006
no:Konsistoriet mars 2006
pt:Consistório Ordinário Público de 2006
sv:Kardinalutnämningar 2006