Now, with the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21, and his funeral set for Saturday, April 26, attention has turned to who will succeed him.
A conclave will soon begin to elect the next Pope.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are allowed to vote in the papal election, disqualifying Nigeria’s 92-year-old Cardinal Francis Arinze.
Cardinals keep their title for life but lose voting rights when they age out.
There are 252 cardinals around the world, but only 135 are eligible to vote in the coming conclave.
These 135 cardinals are known as cardinal electors. Among them, 18 are from Africa.
This includes Nigeria’s Peter Cardinal Okpaleke, along with others from countries like Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and DR Congo.
The full list includes:
- John Njue (Kenya)
- Dieudonne Nzapalainga (Central African Republic)
- Peter Okpaleke (Nigeria)
- Nakellentuba Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
- Protase Rugambwa (Tanzania)
- Robert Sarah (Guinea)
- Berhaneyesus Souraphiel (Ethiopia)
- Desire Tsarahazana (Madagascar)
- Peter Turkson (Ghana)
- Jean-Paul Vesco (Algeria)
- Cristobal Romero (Morocco)
- Stephen Mulla (South Sudan)
- Fridolin Besungu (DR Congo)
- Ignace Dogbo (Ivory Coast)
- Stephen Brislin (South Africa)
- Arlindo Furtado (Cape Verde)
- Antoine Kambanda (Rwanda)
- Jean-Pierre Kutwa (Ivory Coast)*
Pope Francis Appointed Most of the Electors
Out of the 135 voting cardinals, 108 were chosen by Pope Francis himself. That’s about 80% of the voting body.
Another 22 were appointed by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Just five were appointed by Pope John Paul II.
This gives Pope Francis’ appointees a strong influence over the next election.
Here’s how the voting cardinals break down by continent:
- Europe – 53
- Asia – 23
- Africa – 18
- South America – 17
- North America – 16
- Central America – 4
- Oceania – 4
Catholics in Africa and Asia are hopeful that the Church may choose its first non-White Pope.
So far, all 266 Popes in history have been White men of European descent. Many see this as a time for change.
There are about 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, with growing numbers in Africa and Asia. Some believe the Church should reflect this shift.
“The Church is global now. Maybe it’s time the Pope was too,” said a Catholic youth leader in Nigeria.
The date for the Conclave will be announced by the College of Cardinals in the coming days.
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