The Vatican is preparing for the conclave. 135 cardinals will choose a new pope

135 cardinals from over 70 countries of the world will choose a new pope as a conclave. Over 100 purple are cardinals appointed by Francis. Many of them represent the farthest corners of the world. They will have a significant impact on the choice of Franciszek's successor. The conclave will take place within a month. In the coming days, the cardinals will set his date.

Several cardinals appointed by John Paul II and over 20 nomgers of Benedict XVI will also take part in the conclave.

Of the 135 electors, almost 60 comes from Europe, which shows how much the group ceased to be “europocentric”. Among the purple from the Old Continent there are four Poles, including two appointed by Francis – papal almusnik, one of the closest and most trusted collaborators of Franciszek, Konrad Krajewski, and the metropolitan of Łódź Grzegorz Ryś. From Benedict XVI, the Cardinal Dignity was awarded to: Archprint Basilica of the Larger Mother of God, Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko and the retired Warsaw metropolitan Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz.

Among the electors after a dozen or so it comes from South America, North America, Africa, four from Central America, over 20 from Asia, three from Oceania.

Due to this geographical variety of conclave, it can become a kind of “battle of continents”.

It is noted that 23 electors represent the countries of the world that had no cardinal before. This is another sign of decentralization, which Francis introduced in the universal church.

During his pontificate, the composition of the group of electors changed thoroughly. There have never been so many of them, and at the same time – they notice – cardinals do not know each other well because they come from distant corners of the world.

Cardinals who are under 80 years old have the right to choose the pope. On March 1, Cardinal Fernando Vergez Alzaga lost them. On the same day he also stopped acting as the Governor of the Vatican State.

The dean of the Cardinal College of Cardinal Giovanni Battist RE will be supervised by the preparation of the conclave in the Sistine Chapel, but will not participate in it; He is 91 years old.

In 1975, Pope Paul VI described the number of cardinals-electors for 120. This ceiling was later maintained by John Paul II.

In the conclave in March 2013, which Franciszek chose, 115 electors took part.

During Franciszek's pontificate, the number 120 has been significantly exceeded and is currently 135. It is the result of the fact that during almost 12 years of his pontificate 10 consistors took place, during which he appointed 163 cardinals, including those without the right to participate in the conclave due to advanced age.

The youngest cardinal received this dignity on the consistory in December last year. He is a 45-year-old Mykola Byczok, born in Tarnopol in Ukraine, a bishop of the Eparchy of St. Piotr and Paweł in Melbourne, Australia. It belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic church.

According to the canon 349 of the Code of Canon Law, “Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church form a special college, which has the right to choose the Roman bishop, in accordance with the provisions of special law.”

On February 25, 2013, just before resigning ex officio, Benedict XVI announced a document in the form of a motu proprio – “Normas Nonnullas”, modifying some of the provisions of the Constitution of John Paul II “Universi Dominici Gregis” from 1996 on the election of the Pope.

According to the constitution, after the beginning of the vacancy in the Holy See (Sede Vacante), the cardinals were obliged to wait at least 15 days for the arrival of all those entitled to vote. Benedict XVI ordered that the cardinal college may decide to start a conclave earlier if all electors cardinals come to Rome.

From the Vatican Sylwia Wysocka (PAP)

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