Pope appoints new cardinals

A FRAIL Pope John Paul II yesterday added 30 names to the list of his possible successors, installing a diverse collection of cardinals in a consistory some say may be his last.

In a ritual-filled ceremony on the steps of St Peter's Basilica, the 83-year-old Pope gave the new "princes of the church" their red hats and declared them members of the elite band of churchmen who will elect the next Pope.

"We don't know whether that will be in one month or five years," said Scottish Archbishop Keith O'Brien, one of the new cardinals. "But that's really the priority for cardinals."