Pope Francis announced today the creation, as cardinal, of D. Américo Aguiar, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon and President of the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation.

It was from the window of the pontifical apartment, after the recitation of the Angelus, that the Holy Father announced the creation of 21 cardinals, among them 18 future electors. "Their provenance expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all people on earth," Francis said.

The College of Cardinals had, until now, 222 members (121 electors, 101 over the age of 80), including five Portuguese: Bishop Manuel Clemente, cardinal-patriarch of Lisbon; Bishop António Marto, bishop emeritus of Leiria-Fatima; Bishop José Tolentino Mendonça, archivist and librarian of the Holy See, all created by Pope Francis and electors in an eventual conclave; Bishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, penitentiary major emeritus; and Bishop José Saraiva Martins, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, both over 80 years old.

At 49 years of age, Archbishop Américo Aguiar will be the second youngest member of the College of Cardinals and the fourth Portuguese cardinal created in the current pontificate.
For the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of WYD Lisbon 2023 "Pope Francis' choice of Archbishop Américo Aguiar as cardinal is a great pride for all of us who collaborate with him in the organization of WYD Lisbon 2023." On the occasion of this appointment, the LOC thanks Bishop Américo Aguiar for his dedication, "his enthusiasm and determination to make our WYD a meeting of all and for all young people!"

Born in the Diocese of Porto, D. Américo Aguiar was born on December 12, 1973 and was ordained a priest in 2001; since 2016, he has been president of the companies of Renascença Multimedia Group, and was appointed auxiliary bishop of Lisbon by Pope Francis on March 1, 2019.

The current president of the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation was ordained bishop in Porto on March 31, 2019, in a ceremony held at Trinity Church, under the presidency of the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon, Archbishop Manuel Clemente.

D. Américo Aguiar believes that "the Pope wanted, in this way, to honor young people, to value them and to do what he tells us to do: to give young people the possibility to be protagonists of history, of their lives. The President of the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation has no doubt that the Holy Father "had in his heart these young people, this preparation of the World Youth Day".

The consistory is scheduled for September 30, in the Vatican, on the eve of the beginning of the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 4-29, 2023).