created 143 cardinals in six consistories. His predecessor Pope John XXIII had disregarded the centuries-long tradition that limited the College of Cardinals to seventy members, increasing its size to as high as 88 in 1961. Paul continued this practice, and with his appointments the College grew to 103 in 1965, 118 in 1967, 134 in 1969. He then instituted a new rule that diminished the significance of the size of the College. In November 1970 he announced that as of 1 January 1971 only a cardinal who had not yet reached his 80th birthday would be allowed to enter a conclave. When the 1973 consistory increased the size of the College to 145, the number of those under 80 who constituted the cardinal electors was 117. In 1975, he set the maximum number of cardinal electors at 120. Each of his later consistories in 1976 and 1977 brought the number of electors to the full complement of 120. Three of those Paul named a cardinal became pope, Pope John Paul I, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI, who is the last survivor of the cardinals whom Paul named.
When Paul VI added members to the College for the first time, he increased its numbers from 76 to 103, raising the number of Italians from 26 to 32. The 27 he named included the first cardinal from Switzerland, the second black African, and three Eastern Rite Patriarchs. He assigned the patriarchs to the College's highest rank, cardinal bishop, which was previously reserved to six cardinals assigned as bishops of sees near Rome. He said that its growth did not suggest a lesser role for the world's bishops, but reflected the fact that "The proportions of the Church are no longer those of the 16th century". The ceremonies were reduced from four to two, though still scheduled to extend over four days. At the second, public ceremony, the pope and the new cardinals concelebrated Mass for the first time on such an occasion and Paul, after addressing them briefly in Latin, spoke in Italian "because it is easier for us" and then several vernacular languages. The language of the rite was adapted slightly for the patriarchs and the new cardinals did not demonstrate obedience by prostrating themselves at the pope's feet. Before the consistory, the Vatican restricted the use of silk in cardinals' attire.
Pope Paul announced the names of 27 new cardinals on 29 May 1967, and the consistory that followed increased the College from 93 to 118 members, a new high. Twenty were European, including 12 Italians. He again simplified the cardinals' attire and reduced the number of their attendants, but reorganized the ceremonies into three events. Some 24 of the 27 assembled in the Pius XII auditorium on 26 June and there received notes that Paul had named them in the closed ceremony. The other three, papal nuncios to Italy, Portugal, and Spain, followed the custom of receiving their notices and, later, their red birettas, from the head of the government to which they were posted.
On 29 March 1969, Pope Paul announced he would increase the size of the College to 134 at a consistory on 28 April. He named 33 new cardinals from 19 countries, the largest group of new cardinals ever created at a consistory until then, and withheld the names of two more. As part of three ceremonies, a new procedure required each to swear an oath of secrecy to "not divulge to their damage or discredit the councils entrusted to me, either directly or indirectly, without the consent of the Holy See". Of the two cardinals he created in pectore, the name of Štěpán Trochta was later published, but Iuliu Hossu of Rumania died in 1970 without being recognized as a cardinal, though Paul revealed his name at the 5 March 1973 consistory.
Štěpán Trochta, in pectore, announced 5 March 1973
5 March 1973
On 2 February 1973, Pope Paul released the names of thirty new cardinals from 17 countries. The consistory on 5 March brought the number of cardinals to 145, with 117 young enough to serve as cardinal electors. The College had never been larger before, but the size of 145 would regularly be surpassed from 1985 on. The Vatican announced on 12 February that the ceremonies for creating cardinals would be simplied and shortened. Each cardinal's red hat would be delivered by messenger, not ceremoniously imposed by the pope. At the consistory on 5 March, a one-day ceremony that replaced a series of ceremonies spread across five days, Pope Paul revealed the names of two prelates he had made cardinals in pectore in 1969: Stepan Trochta of Czechoslovakia and Iuliu Hossu of Rumania, the latter having died in 1970. He also discussed plans to modify procedures for papal elections by limiting the number of electors to 120, adding as voters the patriarchs of the Eastern Rite churches even if not cardinals, and allowing the leadership of the Synod of Bishops to participate as electors as well.
Pope Paul created 20 cardinals on 24 May 1976. That one of them was Trin Nhu Khue, Archbishop of Hanoi, was not announced until the ceremony and a 21st name was kept secret. The appointments brought the number of cardinal electors to 120 and number of cardinals to 137. He had set the maximum number of electors at 120 in October 1975 in Romano Pontifici eligendo.
On 2 June 1977, Pope Paul announced that he would create four new cardinals on 27 June and made public the name of cardinal he had created in pectore a year earlier, Tomasek of Czechoslovakia. All were young enough to serve as papal electors. This brought the membership of the College of Cardinals to 137 and the number of cardinal electors up to the limit of 120. By one account, this "mini-consistory" was held principally for Benelli, who was being made Archbishop of Florence after ten years as Substitute at the Secretariat of State. Paul himself, at a similar stage of a similar career, had been appointed Archbishop of Milan in 1954 but not made a cardinal by Pius XII. This treatment of Benelli prompted speculation that Paul was designating him his successor or preparing to retire when he reached 80 later in the year.
