Pope John Paul II's cardinal seclections in pectore

Factual Questions
1

It’s known that there were several (presumably Bishops) whom John Paul II had chosen to be cardinals, but did not publicly announce them (probably out of concern for the safety of the individuals involved).

My question is, what happens to these people now? Did John Paul II keep a written record of in pectore selections so that these men can be later appointed as cardinals in public, or are they “out of luck,” so to say, and have to be re-appointed anew by the next (or another subsequent) pope?

Zev Steinhardt

2

As I understand it, the in pectore selections are not all that secret; Vatican staff know who they are and there’s a written record somewhere. It’s merely that the selection is not made public and announced to the world for one reason or another.

3

While the names are probably known to a few people, it appears that if the pope dies before formally revealing the names, they are SOL unless a subsequent pope chooses to select them, again.

Catholic Encyclopedia - In Petto