Pope John Paul II today concluded a week of events marking the 25th anniversary of his succession to the papacy by creating 31 new cardinals.
In a move that will cement his legacy, 26 of the new appointments will join the elite group that will elect his successor. Among them is the Irish-born Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Archbishop Keith O'Brien.
The pontiff hailed the newcomers from 22 countries as a reflection of "the multiplicity of races and cultures that characterise the Christian people".
His hands trembling from Parkinson's disease, the Pope had an aide read his homily and handed each new cardinal his square red "biretta" cap rather than try to place it on their heads. "The scarlet of a cardinal's garb evokes the colour of blood and recalls the heroism of the martyrs," he said.
The 31 - including one named secretly to protect him from a possibly hostile reaction in his country of residence - were a mix of conservative and moderate clerics. Vatican observers could not say how they might influence the next papal election.
The new members bring to 135 the number of cardinals eligible to enter Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel in the Vatican for the conclave to elect the new pope.
Archbishop Keith O'Brien from Ballycastle, Co Antrim, was an unexpected appointment after his advocacy of reform of priestly celibacy and the ban on artifical birth control appeared to rule him out.
But after his nomination he made a public vow of obedience to the Vatican. His spokesman denied Scottish newspaper reports he did so under pressure from Rome.
He told The Scotsman: "I would strongly object to the wrong reports that have been circulated about me round the world. "When a decision is made by our church's highest authorities, I am the first person to say, 'I obey'."
There were cardinals from the developed world and from countries where the church had suffered, such as Sudan and Vietnam. Three each came from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Additional reporting Reuters