Archbishop Anyolo issues update ahead of vote to choose next Pope
Nairobi Archdiocese head Archbishop Philip Anyolo has issued an update ahead of the vote by the conclave to determine the next Pope of the Catholic church on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
In a statement on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Anyolo stated that he was aware of the concerns about the eligibility of Cardinal John Njue to participate in the elections.
“In response to various enquiries concerning whether His Eminence John Cardinal Njue, will be participating in the forthcoming conclave scheduled to commence on 7th May, 2025, I hereby confirm that although His Eminence is eligible to participate and was officially invited through the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya, the Apostolic Nuncio, in concurrence with the Office of the Archbishop of Nairobi, duly communicated to the competent office of the Holy See that, owing to his current health condition, His Eminence John Cardinal Njue will be unable to travel to Rome and take part in the Conclave,” Anyolo clarified.
“As the College of Cardinals prepares to enter into conclave on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, I earnestly urge all the faithful to pray that the Holy Spirit may guide the Cardinals as they undertake the solemn duty of electing our next Holy Father, who will shepherd the Universal Church. Let us also continue to pray for the good health of His Eminence John Cardinal Njue.”
Ill health
While John Cardinal Njue retired from active ministry in 2021, he remains an elector and a member of the conclave since he has yet to attain the age of 80.
In a statement on Monday, May 5, 2025, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, indicated that two cardinals will not be participating in the conclave due to health reasons.
It has since emerged that the two are John Cardinal Njue and Antonio Cañizares of the Spanish Archdiocese, who opted out of the conclave due to health concerns.
Conclave
According to Bruni, a total of 179 cardinals are presently holed up in the Vatican, including the 133 Cardinal electors, who will be participating in the process of electing the new pontiff following the death of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025.
A two-thirds majority of 89 cardinals will be able to choose the next pontiff to lead the over 1 billion Catholic faithful worldwide.
Njue was last seen in a church congregation in January 2025, where he stated that he was not as strong as he used to be, urging the younger leaders to take over the gospel ministry.
