Pope Francis has said he will appoint 13 new Roman Catholic cardinals, among them the first African-American clergyman.

Axar.az informs that the Pope announced the 13 cardinals from eight nations in a surprise address from his window overlooking St Peter's Square in Rome on Sunday.

Wilton Daniel Gregory, the progressive 72-year-old Archbishop of Washington DC, will be one of them.

The cardinals will be installed in a ceremony at the Vatican on 28 November.

Cardinals are the most senior clergymen in the Roman Catholic Church below the pontiff.

Their role includes electing the pope - the head of the Church - who is chosen from among them at a secret gathering known as a conclave.