After the death of Pope Francis Last Monday, April 21, it is expected that the conclavethe meeting organized by the Cardenalicio College of the Catholic Church to choose a new Supreme Pontiff, it takes place in the next 20 days in the city of the Vaticanthe headquarters of Catholicism that is located within Rome, Italy.
According to Italian authorities, the Cardenalicio College is a council of “High Hierarchy ecclesiastical“Integrated by all proclaimed Cardinals of the Catholic Church, who will soon be responsible for choosing the successor of San Pedro, who will also be the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the state of the city of the Vatican.
The cardinals are part of the highest range within the Catholic Church, taking into consideration that everyone has the title honorific taller that the Pope can grant, and for that same reason The main mission of the Cardenalicio College is to choose the new Supreme Pontiff after the death or resignation of the previous Holy Father.
Since February 1996, during the conclave all cardinals must stay in the Santa Marta housea residence located in the city of the Vatican; However, votes are made in the Sistine chapelwhere only the cardinals children under 80 years They will have the opportunity to choose the new Pope, who will be one of them.
How many cardinals are there in 2025?
At present, the Cardinal College of the Roman Catholic Church is made up of 252 cardinals. Given this situation, it is worth mentioning that 150 of them were appointed in recent years by Pope Francis, while 63 were chosen by the BENEDICT XVI PAPA and 42 were chosen by the Pope San Juan Pablo II.
Of those 252 cardinals, 114 are originally from Europe37 of Asia32 of South America29 Africa28 Norteumeight from Central America (1 of Guatemala) and four of Oceania. In turn, the country with the greatest number of cardinals is Italywith 53, taking into account that the city of the Vatican is inside the Italian nation.
However, as mentioned above, not all cardinals can vote in the conclave to choose the next Pope, because only those under 80 years of age can participate. Given the circumstances, of the 252 cardinals, only 135 will have the opportunity to choose the new Supreme Pontiff in May 2025.
Of the 135 cardinals eligible for this year’s conclave, 53 They are from Europe, 23 They are from Asia, 21 from Central and South America, 18 from Africa, 16 from North America and 4 Oceanian. Currently, Europeans make up 39% of the group, less than half, compared to past elections, where 52% was from the old continent.
In the 2025 conclave, Italy It will be the country again with more representations, with 17, it follows USA with 10 and Brazil with seven, while France and Spain They have five and Argentina, Canada, India and Poland They will have four cardinals. In turn, Ivory coastwith two, it will be the only country in the African continent with more than one participant.
According to the Holy See, the exact average age of the conclave will be 70 years and 4 monthswhere 69 countries will be represented; However, the city of Jerusalemthe capital of Israeldue to its “deep religious significance” will have an independent participant: the cardinal Perbattista Pizzaballa 60 years,
Shocking | 🇻🇦
🔹 They slowly stand to prepare the Sistine Chapel to receive the cardinals who in a few weeks will choose the new head of the Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis.
🔹The Miguel Ángel’s peak work will be the place of the conclave that will choose … pic.twitter.com/7AyE1R0DCK
– El Nacional (@elnacionalpy) April 22, 2025