on 6 january 2012, the vatican announced that woelki would be created a cardinal on 18 february along with 21 others. he was created cardinal-priest of san giovanni maria vianney, becoming the youngest member of the college of cardinals, in succession to reinhard marx of munich. however, within the same year the creation of baselios cleemis thottunkal and luis antonio tagle as cardinals in november 2012 made woelki the third youngest cardinal.