Pope Benedict has named six new cardinals from around the world to serve in an elite group of prelates who will one day select a new pope.

The six newest members of the Vatican's College of Cardinals hail from the United States, Lebanon, India, Nigeria, Colombia and the Philippines.

The Roman Catholic Church leader announced the appointments during his general audience Wednesday. He says the appointment ceremony, known as a consistory, will take place on November 24.

The announcement follows the death of several cardinals in recent months and will bring the number of those eligible to vote in papal elections to 122.

Among the new cardinals are American James Michael Harvey, Prefect of the Pontificial House, who will be appointed Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The other cardinals include Bechara Boutros Rai of Lebanon, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites; India's Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara; John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria; Ruben Salazar Gomez, Archbishop of Bogota, Colombia; and Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, Philippines.