Cardinals confirm voting rights of all 133 electors in Papal conclave
The College of Cardinals has confirmed that all 133 cardinal electors set to participate in the upcoming papal conclave have the right to vote, despite exceeding the usual limit.
In a statement released Wednesday, April 30, 2025, by the Holy See Press Office, the cardinals, gathered in the General Congregation, declared that every elector present in the conclave is fully entitled to vote for the next pope.
They cited paragraph 33 of Universi Dominici Gregis, the apostolic constitution governing papal elections, which normally sets the number of electors at 120. However, they clarified that the late Pope Francis went beyond that limit during his pontificate by appointing more than 120 cardinals under the age of 80, effectively expanding the voting body.
“Cardinals exceeding the set limit have acquired, in accordance with paragraph 36 of the same Apostolic Constitution, the right to elect the Roman Pontiff from the moment of their creation and publication,” the declaration states.
The cardinals also acknowledged Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu’s decision to abstain from the conclave, which is scheduled to begin on May 7. They expressed appreciation for his gesture, saying it was made “in order to contribute to the communion and serenity of the conclave.”
They further noted that they hope “the competent juridical bodies may definitively ascertain the facts” related to the ongoing corruption investigation involving Cardinal Becciu.
Of the 135 cardinals eligible to vote, two have confirmed they won’t be able to attend the conclave for health reasons, bringing the total down to 133.
Cardinals electors
The 135 cardinal electors of the College of Cardinals come from 71 different countries across all five continents.
Regarding age, the youngest Cardinal Elector is Mikola Bychok, a 45-year-old Australian of Ukrainian origin, while the oldest is Spanish Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, aged 79.
Six cardinals were born in the 1970s: Italian Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, Vicar of the Diocese of Rome, who will turn 55 this November; Canadian Cardinal Frank Leo; Lithuanian Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Coadjutor Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major; Indian Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue; Portuguese Cardinal Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar; and Italian-born Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, marking the first time Mongolia will be represented in a conclave.
Other age demographics include 50 cardinals born in the 1940s, 47 in the 1950s, and 31 in the 1960s. The most represented birth year is 1947, with 13 cardinals who are either 78 or approaching that age.
