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From the 45-year-old Australian-Ukrainian Bychok to the 79-year-old Spaniard Osoro Sierra: the College of Cardinals called to vote is the most international in recent history

There will be 135 cardinal electors gathered in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday afternoon, 7 May to elect the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church. A Conclave that is expected to be short, according to many, and will involve cardinals from 71 countries on five continents, making it one of the most representative and varied in recent history.

The youngest among the participants is the Australian (born in Ukraine) Mikola Bychok, 45, while the dean by age is the Spaniard Carlos Osoro Sierra, 79. Other notable names include Cardinal Pietro Parolin, born in 1955, and Italian Matteo Zuppi, of the same vintage. A large number of voters are in the 78 age bracket.

Of the 135 electors, five were created by John Paul II, 22 by Benedict XVI, while a good 108 – around 80% of the total – were appointed by Pope Francis, confirming the mark left by his pontificate on the composition of the current College of Cardinals.

The presence of cardinals from religious families is notable: there are 33, with a predominance of Salesians (5), followed by Friars Minor, Jesuits and Conventual Franciscans. Redemptorists, verbites, Capuchins, Carmelites, Cistercians, Claretians, Scalabrinians, Spiritans and representatives of secular or missionary institutes are also present.

The geographical distribution is wide: 53 cardinals from Europe, 37 from the Americas (including 16 from the North, 4 from Central America and 17 from the South), 23 from Asia, 18 from Africa and 4 from Oceania. Among the most symbolic origins are Haiti, Cape Verde, South Sudan, East Timor, Paraguay, Malaysia, Sweden, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.

A mosaic of cultures, pastoral experiences and ecclesial visions that will confront each other in the shadow of Michelangelo’s Last Judgement to indicate the successor of Peter.

Note: Just today, the director of the Holy See Press Office announced the absence of two cardinals for health reasons. This brings the number of voters down to 133, bringing the quorum to 89.

(Photo: © Vatican Media)

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