Pope names secret cardinals

Appointments strengthen non-Italian bloc of cardinals

Pope John Paul has revealed the names of two cardinals from the former Soviet Union whom he appointed secretly three years ago.

In a surprise announcement, he also named a further five new cardinals in addition to the 37 made public last week.

The two cardinals named in 1998 are from the Ukraine and Latvia, and the announcement of their appointments comes five months before a papal visit to the Ukraine.

Archbishop Lubomyr Husar of Lviv, Ukraine

Popes use the device of secret appointments to protect the identity of cardinals in areas where the individual and local Church might be put in danger.

The pope said he chose Marian Jaworski, Archbishop of Roman Catholics in Ukraine, and Janis Pujats, Archbishop of Riga, Latvia, to pay tribute to the suffering of their churches in the 20th Century.

Among the new appointments was Archbishop Lubomyr Husar of Lviv in Ukraine.

College of Cardinals

''They were solely tried and they showed the world the example of so many Christians, who managed to be a testimony of their faith despite suffering of every nature,'' the pope said.

The seven, since they are all under 80 years old, will join other prelates in the College of Cardinals who are eligible to choose a successor to Pope John Paul, who is 80.

There are now a record number of cardinals, 135, who can take part in the selection.

The new appointments further weakened the Italian bloc in the College and strengthened the Latin faction, increasingly the possibility of a non-Italian pope.

German appointment

One of those named on Sunday was Bishop Karl Lehmann, the head of the German Bishops Conference, who was put in charge of the German diocese of Mainz, traditionally a Cardinal's seat, as long ago as 1983.

Many observers thought the likelihood of his becoming a cardinal were slim because of the Pope's dissatisfaction at the way the German Church had challenged the Vatican on abortion counselling, and allowing divorced persons to receive communion.

It was also thought Bishop Lehman's chances had been diminished by remarks that the pope should consider retiring if he could no longer carry out his duties.