VATICAN CITY Pope John Paul II on Wednesday added a record 44 new cardinals to the body which will one day elect his successor as millions throughout the world watched closely for any hints, however unlikely, as to who he might be.

"This is a great celebration for the great universal church," the 80-year-old pontiff said, speaking outside Saint Peter's basilica in a colorful ceremony. "This is a great celebration for the city of Rome, the principal see of the apostles and his successor."

John Paul II called on the newcomers from 27 countries to "set sail and carry the message of salvation to the world looking for the signs of the times and opening up a dialogue with every person and social body."

After a liturgical greeting outside Saint Peter's basilica under a cloudless blue sky, the Pope read out the so-called formula of creation and solemnly proclaimed the names of the new princes of the Catholic Church.

As the open-air ceremony unfolded, his homily was followed by the new cardinals' profession of faith and the taking of the oath, in the first such occasion in the third millennium.

The first in line of the new cardinals, the prefect of the congregation of bishops, Giovanni Battista Re, thanked the pontiff on behalf of his peers whom he noted shared different experiences, including persecution and imprisonment.

He also expressed hope that the head of the Roman Catholic Church "may still rule the church for a long time.

"The people of God needs the example of devotion of your holiness even when physical strength diminishes," he said.

Dressed in brilliant red and speaking in Latin, the cardinals swore total allegiance to Christ, the gospel and the spiritual leader of one billion Catholics, and declared their readiness to give their lives and shed their blood -- hence the color of their garments.

They also pledged never to divulge information "that could cause harm to the church or dishonor it."