Apr. 15 (CWNews.com) - During his pontificate, John Paul II convened 9 consistories to bring new members into the College of Cardinals. He created 231 cardinals, of whom 183 are still alive, and 117 are eligible to vote in the coming conclave (although 2 of the eligible voters are unable to attend because of illness).

The red vestments of a cardinal serve as a reminder that these "princes of the Church" are asked to be ready to shed their blood, if necessary, in defense of the faith. While martyrdom among these prelates is a rarity today, Pope John Paul did honor several prelates who had suffered in Communist prison camps. In the consistory of June 1979, he named one cardinal "in pectore," later revealing that it was the Chinese Cardinal Ignatius Gong Pin-Mei.

The dates of John Paul's consistories, and the number of cardinals appointed, are:

1. June 1979: 14 new cardinals
2. February 1983: 18 new cardinals
3. March 1985: 28 new cardinals
4. June 1988: 24 new cardinals
5. June 1991: 23 new cardinals
6. November 1994: 30 new cardinals
7. February 1998: 20 new cardinals
8. February 2001: 44 new cardinals
9. October 2003: 30 new cardinals

In addition to Cardinal Gong, whose "in pectore" appointment was made public at the consistory of 1991, Pope John Paul II made three other secret appointments. At the consistory of February 1998 he named two cardinals "in pectore;" in 2001 he revealed that they were Cardinals Marian Jaworksi of Lviv and Janis Pujats of Riga. At the consistory of October 2003 he named another cardinal "in pectore;" John Paul died without ever revealing that prelate's identity.