Three Argentines, a Colombian and a Venezuelan will be part of the group of 21 new cardinals to be made official on September 30.

“I am pleased to announce that on September 30 I will celebrate a church council for the establishment of new cardinals,” the Holy Father announced after the Angelus prayer.

“Its provenance expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God’s merciful love for all people on earth,” the Argentine pope added.

Of this new group, only 18 will be able to elect the next pope as they are under 80 years old. The cardinals are the pope’s chief advisers and administrators and wear a red cassock.

A church council is being held for his nomination, this will be Francisco’s ninth holding and the last was last August.

Since becoming pope, Francis has sought to promote clergy from developing countries and far from Rome, in line with his philosophy of promoting diversity and inclusion.

The Argentines are Monsignor Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Angel Sixto Rossi, Archbishop of Córdoba; and Luis Pascual Dri, a confessor at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, but who, over the age of 80, was unable to participate in an eventual conclave.

The new appointments also include Archbishop of Bogotá, Colombian Luis José Rueda Aparicio and Venezuelan Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez, Archbishop Emeritus of Cumaná. The latter would also not have voting rights because of his age.