The Catholic primate Archbishop Seán Brady will be among 23 men from 13 countries on four continents to be elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI at a 90-minute ceremony in St Peter's Basilica this morning. Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent, in Rome
This morning's consistory was originally scheduled to take place on St Peter's Square, but as rain has been forecast it was decided yesterday to move the ceremony inside the basilica.
An estimated 25,000 people, including over 500 Irish people, had intended being in St Peter's Square for the event. Many of these will not now be able to attend in the basilica for space reasons. It is understood they may be offered places in the Paul VI hall, where they can view proceedings on big screens. Already yesterday many were expressing disappointment at this turn of events.
Archbishop Brady will be the ninth new cardinal to receive the zucchetto - a skull cap - which will be placed on his head by the Pope, and then a red biretta (a stiff square cap topped by three ridges - the so-called "red hat") over this. He will also then be told the title of the Roman church assigned to him, after which he will be formally greeted by his fellow cardinals.
Leading the Irish contingent will be President Mary McAleese, who will be accompanied by her husband Martin. Also present will be Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness; the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward; Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern; and Government Secretary Dermot McCarthy.
Both the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, Noel Fahey, and his British counterpart, Francis Campbell, are also expected to attend. Mr Campbell, the first Catholic to represent Britain at the Holy See since the Reformation, is a native of Newry, Co Down.
A large Irish Catholic Church delegation will include cardinals Cahal Daly and Desmond Connell, as well as the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin; the Archbishop of Cashel, Dr Dermot Clifford; the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary; and 20 other bishops.
A large contingent is expected from Co Cavan, including members of Archbishop Brady's family, as well as groups from his class in Maynooth, from his original diocese of Kilmore, and the diocese over which he now presides, Armagh.
Tomorrow morning Pope Benedict will preside at a Mass, also likely to be in St Peter's Basilica, at which each new cardinal will be presented with his cardinalatial ring.
In an interview in The Irish Times "Weekend" supplement today, Archbishop Brady says it is "a time for the healing of memory" when it comes to relations between the peoples of these islands. In that context, and it being November, he believes people should feel free to wear the "poppy" in memory of the 210,000 Irishmen who fought in the first World War, and in particular the 35,000 to 49,000 who were killed in that war, the great majority of them Catholic.
While welcoming economic progress in the Republic, he says "Ireland has failed to develop spiritually as well as materially" and that "a fierce individualism" is evident.
He is "appalled" that so many young Irish people simply set out to get drunk and believes all options must now be considered to curtail the abuse of alcohol in Ireland, including taxation, limiting availability, and the ending of sports sponsorship.
He strongly defends Catholic education, North and South.
• There will be live coverage of today's consistory in Rome on RTÉ 1 television from 9.25am and on RTÉ Radio One from 9.20am. After noon the Marian Finucane Show, also on RTÉ Radio One, will turn its focus to proceedings in Rome.