Cardinals created by Leo XIII
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Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878–1903) created 147 cardinals in 27 consistories held at roughly annual intervals. With his appointments he approached[lower-alpha 1] but did not exceed the limit on the size of the College of Cardinals set at 70 in 1586.[2] The size of the college was 64 at the beginning and end of Leo XIII's 25-year papacy.[lower-alpha 2] With 147 additions to a body of fewer than 70, Leo had, as one observer phrased it, "renewed the Sacred College more than twice".[3]
The largest group of fourteen new cardinals, with two more kept secret, was announced on 16 January 1893. Nine of Leo's cardinals were created in pectore and only announced at a later consistory. Those announced at his first consistory included his brother Giuseppe Pecci. In 1893, he elevated to cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, who succeeded him as Pope Pius X in 1903. The cardinals he created included brothers Serafino and Vincenzo Vannutelli in 1887 and 1889 and cousins Luigi Jacobini and Angelo Jacobini in 1879 and 1882. Another of Leo's cardinals, von Fürstenberg, had a cousin in the College appointed in 1842 by Pope Gregory XVI.[4]
Of the 147 cardinals Pope Leo created, 85 were Italian.[lower-alpha 3] Only three were not Europeans: Gibbons (United States), Moran (Australia), and Taschereau (Canada). Pope Leo's appointments also included the first Australian,[6] Moran, the first Canadian,[7] Taschereau, the first Slovenian,[8] Missia, and the first Armenian,[9] Hassoun, who was also the first prelate of an Oriental rite made a cardinal since 1439.[10] Cardinals who died before visiting Rome to be assigned their titular churches included Guilbert, Lluch, and Rotelli.
Of the 147 cardinals Leo appointed, 63 survived him and 61 of them, along with one cardinal appointed earlier,[11][lower-alpha 4] participated in the 1903 conclave that elected Pius X.[lower-alpha 5]