Pope John Paul II () created 231 cardinals in nine consistories held at roughly three-year intervals. Three of those cardinals were first created , that is, without their names being announced, and only identified by the pope later. He named a fourth as well but never revealed that name. At his 2001 consistory, where he elevated 42 prelates and announced the names of two created earlier, he created more cardinals at one time than ever before or since. His consistories in 1985, 1994, and 2003 were among the largest ever.
In his first three consistories, John Paul adhered to the limit of 120 that Pope Paul VI set on the number of cardinal electors in 1975. and he included that maximum when he reformed the papal conclave procedures in 1996. See also: Universi Dominici Gregis. His appointments exceeded that number for the first time in 1988 when the number of electors rose to 121, and then again in 1998 when it reached 122. In each of his last two consistories, in 2001 and 2003, he raised the number to 135, a record figure only exceeded once, by Pope Francis in 2023.
He was the first pope to allow someone not a bishop to become a cardinal since Pope John XXIII mandated that cardinals be bishops in 1962. His appointments included one future pope, Pope Francis.
30 June 1979 John Paul created fourteen cardinals at his first consistory and he announced he was withholding the name of a fifteenth. That additional cardinal's name was not made public until 1991. All those named were archbishops, including six Italians and two Poles. These appointments, excluding the name withheld, brought the number of cardinals who had not passed their 80th birthday to 120, the maximum set by Pope Paul VI, while the entire membership of the College of Cardinals reached 135. NameTitle when named cardinalCountryAgostino Casaroli (1914–1998) Pro-Secretary of State of Secretariat of StateGiuseppe Caprio (1914–2005) Pro-President of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic SeeMarco Cé (1925–2014) Patriarch of VeniceEgano Righi-Lambertini (1906–2000) Apostolic Nuncio to FranceJoseph-Marie Trịnh Văn Căn (1921–1990) Archbishop of HanoiErnesto Civardi (1906–1989) Secretary of the Congregation for BishopsErnesto Corripio y Ahumada (1919–2008) Archbishop of MexicoJoseph Asajiro Satowaki (1904–1996) Archbishop of NagasakiRoger Etchegaray (1922–2019) Archbishop of MarseilleAnastasio Ballestrero (1913–1998) Archbishop of TurinTomás Ó Fiaich (1923–1990) Archbishop of ArmaghGerald Emmett Carter (1912–2003) Archbishop of TorontoFranciszek Macharski (1927–2016) Archbishop of Kraków PolandWładysław Rubin (1917–1990) Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops Poland
Cardinal in pectore NameTitle when named cardinalCountryRevealed as CardinalIgnatius Kung Pin-mei (1901–2000) Bishop of Shanghai29 May 1991
2 February 1983
John Paul created 18 cardinals on 2 February 1983, including the first resident of the Soviet Union (Vaivods of Latvia) and four others from countries with Communist governments. This brought the college to 138 members, of whom 120 were young enough to serve as electors in a papal conclave. Another cardinal was created in pectore or secretly. John Paul granted a dispensation from the requirement that all cardinals be bishops to Henri de Lubac, the first such dispensation since Pope John XXIII established the rule in 1962. NameTitle when named cardinalCountryAnthony Peter Khoraish (1907–1994) Patriarch of Antioch of the MaronitesBernard Yago (1916–1997) Archbishop of AbidjanAurelio Sabattani (1912–2003) Pro-Prefect of the Apostolic SignaturaFranjo Kuharić (1919–2002) Archbishop of ZagrebGiuseppe Casoria (1908–2001) Pro-Prefect of Sacred Congregation for Sacraments and Divine WorshipJosé Lebrún Moratinos (1919–2001) Archbishop of CaracasJoseph Bernardin (1928–1996) Archbishop of ChicagoMichael Michai Kitbunchu (b. 1929) Archbishop of BangkokAlexandre do Nascimento (1925–2024) Archbishop of LubangoAlfonso López Trujillo (1935–2008) Archbishop of MedellínGodfried Danneels (1933–2019) Archbishop of Mechelen–BrusselsThomas Williams (1930–2023) Archbishop of WellingtonCarlo Maria Martini (1927–2012) Archbishop of MilanJean-Marie Lustiger (1926–2007) Archbishop of ParisJózef Glemp (1929–2013) Archbishop of Warsaw and Archbishop of Gniezno PolandJulijans Vaivods (1895–1990) Apostolic Administrator of Riga and Apostolic Administrator of LiepājaJoachim Meisner (1933–2017) Bishop of BerlinHenri de Lubac (1896–1991)Theologian
25 May 1985
John Paul created 28 cardinals on 25 May 1985 in a ceremony held outdoors for the first time in St. Peter's Square. They included the first from Ethiopia and Nicaragua and an archbishop of the Ukrainian Rite. It raised the college's membership to 152, with 120 eligible to vote for a new pope. NameTitle when named cardinalCountryLuigi Dadaglio (1914–1990) Major Pro-Penitentiary of the Apostolic PenitentiaryDuraisamy Simon Lourdusamy (1924–2014)Secretary of Congregation for the Propagation of the FaithFrancis Arinze (b. 1932)Pro-President of Secretariat for Non-ChristiansJuan Francisco Fresno (1914–2004)Archbishop of SantiagoAntonio Innocenti (1915–2008)Apostolic Nuncio to SpainMiguel Obando y Bravo (1926–2018)Archbishop of ManaguaPaul Mayer (1911–2010)Pro-Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and Pro-Prefect of Congregation for the SacramentsÁngel Suquía Goicoechea (1916–2006)Archbishop of MadridJean Jérôme Hamer (1916–1996) Pro-Prefect of Congregation for the Religious and Secular InstitutesRicardo Vidal (1931–2017)Archbishop of CebuHenryk Gulbinowicz (1923–2020)Archbishop of Wrocław PolandPaulos Tzadua (1921–2003)Archbishop of Addis Abeba EthiopiaJozef Tomko (1924–2022)Pro-Prefect of Congregation for the Propagation of the FaithMyroslav Ivan Lubachivsky (1914–2000)Major-Archbishop of Lviv-GaliciaAndrzej Maria Deskur (1924–2011)President emeritus of Pontifical Commission for Social Communications PolandPaul Poupard (b. 1930)Pro-President of Secretariat for Non-BelieversLouis-Albert Vachon (1912–2006)Archbishop of QuebecAlbert Decourtray (1923–1994)Archbishop of LyonRosalio Lara (1922–2007)President of Disciplinary Commission of the Roman CuriaFriedrich Wetter (b. 1928)Archbishop of Munich and FreisingSilvano Piovanelli (1924–2016)Archbishop of FirenzeAdrianus Johannes Simonis (1931–2020)Archbishop of UtrechtÉdouard Gagnon (1918–2007)Pro-President of Pontifical Council for the FamilyAlfons Maria Stickler (1910–2007)Librarian of the Vatican Apostolic Library & Archivist of the Vatican Secret ArchivesBernard Francis Law (1931–2017)Archbishop of BostonJohn Joseph O'Connor (1920–2000)Archbishop of New YorkGiacomo Biffi (1928–2015)Archbishop of BolognaPietro Pavan (1903–1994)Rector Magnificus Emeritus of the Pontifical Lateran University
28 June 1988
On 29 May 1988 John Paul announced he would create 25 new cardinals in 28 June, though the death of Hans Urs von Balthasar of Switzerland reduced that number to 24. This consistory took the number of cardinal electors from 97 to 121, which fell within a month to the maximum of 120, a majority of them appointed by John Paul. It brought the total number of cardinals to a new high of 160, of whom John Paul named 84. NameTitle when named cardinalCountryEduardo Martínez Somalo (1927–2021)Substitute for General Affairs emeritus of Secretariat of StateAchille Silvestrini (1923–2019)Secretary of Council for the Public Affairs of the ChurchAngelo Felici (1919–2007) Apostolic Nuncio to FrancePaul Grégoire (1911–1993)Archbishop of MontrealAntony Padiyara (1921–2000)Archbishop of ErnakulamJosé Freire Falcão (1925–2021)Archbishop of BrasiliaMichele Giordano (1930–2010)Archbishop of NapoliAlexandre José Maria dos Santos (1924–2021)Archbishop of Maputo MozambiqueGiovanni Canestri (1918–2015)Archbishop of Genova–BobbioAntonio María Javierre Ortas (1921–2007)Secretary emeritus of Congregation for Catholic EducationSimon Pimenta (1920–2013)Archbishop of Genova–BombayMario Revollo Bravo (1919–1995)Archbishop of BogotaEdward Bede Clancy (1923–2014)Archbishop of SydneyLucas Moreira Neves (1925–2002)Archbishop of São Salvador da BahiaJames Aloysius Hickey (1920–2004)Archbishop of WashingtonEdmund Szoka (1927–2014)Archbishop of DetroitLászló Paskai (1927–2015)Archbishop of Esztergom HungaryChristian Tumi (1930–2021)Archbishop of GarouaHans Hermann Groër (1919–2003)Archbishop of ViennaJacques-Paul Martin (1908–1992)Prefect emeritus of Prefecture of the Papal HouseholdFranz Hengsbach (1910–1991)Bishop of EssenVincentas Sladkevičius (1920–2000)Apostolic Administrator of KaišiadorysJean Margéot (1916–2009)Bishop of Port-LouisJohn Wu (1925–2002)Bishop of Hong Kong Hong Kong
28 June 1991
On 29 May 1991, John Paul announced he would create 22 cardinals at a consistory on 28 June and revealed the name of one he had created in pectore in 1979, Ignatius Kung Pin-mei. This increased the number of cardinal electors to 120 from 100. It also raised to 13 the number cardinals from the Soviet Union and nations of the recently dissolved Warsaw Pact. The total number of cardinals reached 162 after the consistory. NameTitle when named cardinalCountryAngelo Sodano (1927–2022)Pro-Secretary of State of Secretariat of StateAlexandru Todea (1912–2002)Major Archbishop of Făgăraș and Alba IuliaPio Laghi (1922–2009)Pro-Prefect of Congregation for Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions)Edward Cassidy (1924–2021)President of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and President of Commission for Religious Relations with the JewsRobert-Joseph Coffy (1920–1995)Archbishop of MarseilleFrédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi (1930–2007)Archbishop of KinshasaNicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez (b. 1936)Archbishop of Santo DomingoJose Tomas Sanchez (1920–2012)Secretary of Congregation for the Evangelisation of PeoplesVirgilio Noè (1922–2011)Coadjutor Vicar General for the Vatican City State of Rome, Coadjutor President of Fabric of Saint Peter and Coadjutor Archpriest of Papal Basilica of Saint PeterAntonio Quarracino (1923–1998)Archbishop of Buenos AiresFiorenzo Angelini (1916–2014)President of Pontifical Council for Health Care WorkersRoger Mahony (b. 1936)Archbishop of Los AngelesJuan Jesús Posadas Ocampo (1926–1993)Archbishop of GuadalajaraAnthony Bevilacqua (1923–2012)Archbishop of PhiladelphiaGiovanni Saldarini (1924–2011)Archbishop of TurinCahal Daly (1917–2009)Archbishop of ArmaghCamillo Ruini (1931–2026)Pro-Archpriest of Papal Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran and Pro-Vicar General for the Vicariate of RomeJán Chryzostom Korec (1924–2015)Bishop of NitraHenri Schwery (1932–2021)Bishop of SionGeorg Sterzinsky (1936–2011)Archbishop of BerlinGuido del Mestri (1911–1993)Apostolic Nuncio (retired)Paolo Dezza (1901–1999)Pontifical Delegate emeritus for Society of Jesus
26 November 1994
On 30 October 1994, John Paul announced the names of 30 new cardinals from 24 countries, scheduling the consistory for 26 November. He said others were deserving but he "thought it appropriate to adhere to the limit set by my Predecessor Paul VI". The total number of cardinals reached 167 after the consistory.