One of the 21 chosen to be created cardinals of the Catholic Church on Dec. 7 asked Pope Francis not to be named cardinal, a request the Holy Father granted, thus reducing the number of new cardinals to 20.

Pope Francis grants request from Bishop of Bogor

“Pope Francis has granted the request of His Excellency Paskalis Bruno Syukur, Bishop of Bogor, Indonesia, not to be created cardinal in the next consistory,” reads a statement released by Vatican Press Office director Matteo Bruni on Oct. 22. The decision was motivated by the bishop’s desire to “grow further in priestly life, in service to the Church and the people of God.” However, no further details were provided.

The announcement of the new cardinals

Pope Francis announced the names of the new cardinals last Oct. 6, after the Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. Among the 20 new cardinals to be created, five are from Latin America. However, the rejection of Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur reduced the total number to 20.

Who is Paskalis Bruno Syukur, the bishop who renounced the purple?

Paskalis Bruno Syukur, born May 17, 1962, in Ranggu on the island of Flores in Indonesia, is 62 years old. After studying at Pius X Minor Seminary in Kisol, he pursued his education in philosophy at the Driyakara Faculty of Philosophy in Jakarta and in theology at the Yogyakarta Faculty of Theology. He made solemn profession in the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) on January 22, 1989 and was ordained a priest on February 2, 1991.

Throughout his career he has held various positions within the Franciscan Order, including Definitor General for Asia and Oceania since 2009. On Nov. 21, 2013, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Bogor, a diocese of just over 94,000 Catholics, representing about 0.5 percent of the Indonesian city’s population.