Pope John Paul II (C) hands a staff to new bishop Peter Erdo (R) from Budapest, Hungary during a ceremony to ordain 12 new bishops January 6 as other new bishops look on. The Pope ordained 12 new bishops, hours after [China] bluntly defied his authority by installing five bishops for its state Catholic church in a blow to efforts for closer ties. The Pope's authority as head of the one-billion member Roman Catholic Church is based in part on his sole right to appoint bishops and cardinals.