College of Cardinals

The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church, tasked with electing the pope during a papal conclave and serving as senior advisors on Church governance. Rooted in centuries of tradition, the College is a cornerstone of the Church’s hierarchical structure, with cardinals holding prominent roles as leaders of major dioceses, Vatican departments, or Eastern Catholic patriarchates. Its influence extends beyond conclaves, shaping the Church’s global mission through consistories and administrative duties. As of 5 May 2025, the College comprises 252 cardinals from 91 countries, with 135 eligible to vote in the 2025 papal conclave, the largest in history, following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April 2025.

The College’s composition reflects the Church’s global reach, particularly under Francis, who appointed 108 of the 135 electors, emphasizing representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This diversity has shifted the College’s traditional European dominance, with only 17 Italian electors in 2025, compared to over 140 non-European cardinals overall. The ongoing 2025 conclave underscores the College’s pivotal role in determining the Church’s future leadership amid debates on synodality, social justice, and global inclusivity.

The College operates under strict protocols, governed by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis (1996), as amended by Pope Benedict XVI’s Normas nonnullas (2013), which outline conclave procedures and eligibility. Cardinals are appointed by the pope in consistories, and their roles combine spiritual leadership with administrative responsibilities, making them key figures in both local and universal Church governance. The 2025 conclave, with its unprecedented size and global representation, highlights the College’s evolving role in a rapidly changing world, where the election of a non-European pope is increasingly plausible.

History

The College of Cardinals traces its origins to the early Church, when cardinals were clergy assisting the Bishop of Rome in liturgical and administrative duties. By the 8th century, the term “cardinal” (from Latin cardo, meaning hinge) denoted their pivotal role in connecting the pope to the wider Church. The 1059 decree In nomine Domini by Pope Nicholas II established cardinals as the sole electors of the pope, a reform that curtailed lay influence and solidified their authority. Over time, the College evolved from a local Roman institution into a global body, with cardinals appointed from diverse regions by the 20th century.

The Second Council of Lyon (1274) under Pope Gregory X introduced the conclave system via Ubi periculum, mandating secrecy and seclusion to expedite papal elections. Subsequent reforms shaped the College’s structure, including Pope Paul VI’s 1970 motu proprio Ingravescentem aetatem, which restricted voting in conclaves to cardinals under 80, and set a nominal limit of 120 electors. This limit was exceeded in 2025, reflecting Pope Francis’s extensive appointments to diversify the College. The 16th-century Council of Trent and later Vatican reforms further clarified cardinals’ roles in governance, cementing their status as the Church’s “senate.”

The College’s history is marked by moments of crisis and reform, such as the Western Schism (1378–1417), when rival groups of cardinals elected competing popes. Modern popes, particularly Pope John Paul II and Francis, have expanded the College’s geographic scope, appointing cardinals from underrepresented regions like Oceania and Southeast Asia. In 2025, the College’s globalized composition, with 71 countries represented among electors, underscores its transformation into a truly universal body, poised to address contemporary challenges in the conclave.

Roles and responsibilities

The College of Cardinals’ primary responsibility is electing a pope during a sede vacante, as seen in the 2025 conclave following Pope Francis’s death on 21 April 2025. During this period, the College manages Church affairs through general congregations, which in 2025 addressed logistics, funeral arrangements, and the Church’s global needs. These meetings, held daily except on specific dates in April and May, involved discussions on the qualities needed in the next pope, guided by spiritual discernment rather than political campaigning, as emphasized by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David.

Beyond conclaves, cardinals advise the pope in consistories, where they deliberate on issues like canonizations, Church governance, or global crises. Many cardinals lead major archdioceses (e.g., Manila, Kinshasa) or head Vatican congregations, such as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, shaping Church policy and doctrine. Their dual role as local and universal leaders requires balancing regional pastoral needs with the Church’s global mission, a dynamic evident in the 2025 preparations, where cardinals from diverse backgrounds shared perspectives on synodality and inclusivity.

The College also maintains continuity during transitions, ensuring the Church’s stability. In 2025, cardinals organized the Novemdiales Masses and secured the Sistine Chapel for the conclave, while a dedicated website provided biographical data to aid electors’ discernment. Their responsibilities extend to fostering unity, as seen in efforts to bridge ideological divides among progressive and conservative factions during the 2025 general congregations. The College’s multifaceted role underscores its significance as both a governing and spiritual institution.

Cardinal bishops

Cardinal bishops are the highest-ranking order within the College, traditionally overseeing the seven suburbicarian sees (dioceses surrounding Rome) or serving as patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches. Their role is largely honorific, but they hold precedence in ceremonial and conclave duties, with the dean of the College typically chosen from their ranks. In 2025, only five cardinal bishops are electors in the conclave, led by Pietro Parolin, who presides as the senior cardinal bishop under 80, since Dean Giovanni Battista Re and Vice-Dean Leonardo Sandri are ineligible due to age.

Historically, cardinal bishops were drawn exclusively from the suburbicarian sees, but 20th-century reforms allowed Eastern patriarchs and select Curial officials to join this order. Their small number—typically six to eight—reflects their elite status, with appointments reserved for cardinals of exceptional prominence, such as past secretaries of state or patriarchs like Louis Sako of the Chaldean Catholic Church. In the 2025 conclave, their influence is limited by their minority but amplified by Parolin’s leadership role in guiding proceedings.

Cardinal bishops often serve as symbols of continuity, linking the College to the Church’s Roman roots. Their participation in consistories and major Vatican events, such as the 2023 synod on synodality, highlights their advisory role to the pope. In 2025, their presence in the conclave underscores the balance between tradition and the Church’s globalized future, as they navigate discussions on issues like ecumenism and interfaith dialogue alongside electors from newer Catholic strongholds.

Cardinal priests

Cardinal priests form the largest order, comprising 110 of the 135 electors in the 2025 conclave, typically archbishops of major dioceses worldwide. Their title derives from their historical role as priests overseeing Rome’s titular churches, though today they lead metropolitan sees like Buenos Aires, Nairobi, or Tokyo. Cardinal priests represent the Church’s pastoral frontline, addressing local challenges while contributing to universal governance through conclaves and consistories.

In 2025, cardinal priests reflect Pope Francis’s emphasis on the Global South, with figures like Fridolin Ambongo (Kinshasa) and Matteo Zuppi (Bologna) among prominent electors. Their diverse backgrounds—spanning Africa, Asia, and Latin America—shape conclave discussions on issues like poverty, migration, and LGBTQ+ inclusion, reflecting the Church’s global constituency. Their numerical dominance in the College ensures their perspectives heavily influence the election of Francis’s successor.

The role of cardinal priests has evolved from local Roman clergy to global leaders, a shift accelerated by 20th-century popes who appointed cardinals from emerging Catholic regions. In 2025, their engagement in pratiche (informal pre-conclave discussions) highlights their role in discerning candidates who can unify the Church amid ideological tensions. Their pastoral experience, rooted in diverse cultural contexts, positions them as key architects of the Church’s future direction.

Cardinal deacons

Cardinal deacons, the lowest-ranking order, include 20 electors in the 2025 conclave, often Curial officials or retired prelates assigned to Rome’s deaconry churches. Historically, they assisted with administrative and charitable duties in Rome, but today they typically lead Vatican dicasteries or serve as senior advisors. The senior cardinal deacon, under 80, announces the new pope with the Habemus Papam proclamation, a role yet to be fulfilled in the ongoing 2025 conclave.

Cardinal deacons include figures like Reinhard Marx, a former Curial official, whose administrative expertise informs conclave deliberations. Their roles in the Vatican, such as overseeing the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, equip them to address systemic issues like climate change or economic inequality, which surfaced in 2025 general congregations. Despite their smaller numbers, their Curial experience gives them significant influence in shaping conclave dynamics.

The order of cardinal deacons has adapted to modern needs, with appointments reflecting both administrative acumen and pastoral sensitivity. In 2025, their participation underscores the interplay between Vatican bureaucracy and global Church priorities, as they advocate for candidates who can navigate both spheres. Their role in the conclave, while less visible than cardinal priests, remains critical in ensuring a balanced and informed election process.

Composition in 2025

As of 5 May 2025, the College of Cardinals includes 252 members from 91 countries, a testament to Pope Francis’s efforts to globalize the Church. Of these, 135 are eligible to vote in the 2025 conclave (cardinals under 80 on 21 April 2025), with 133 participating due to the absence of Antonio Cañizares Llovera and John Njue for health reasons. The electors include 5 cardinal bishops, 110 cardinal priests, and 20 cardinal deacons, with 108 appointed by Francis, 22 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 5 by Pope John Paul II. This composition reflects a significant shift, with only 17 Italian electors compared to substantial representation from Africa (e.g., Nigeria, Congo) and Asia (e.g., Philippines, India).

The College’s diversity is evident in its regional breakdown: over 140 cardinals are non-European, including 54 from Latin America, 38 from Africa, and 31 from Asia. This globalized makeup, driven by Francis’s nine consistories since 2013, contrasts with earlier eras when Europeans, particularly Italians, dominated. The 2025 conclave’s electors include first-time cardinals from smaller dioceses, such as Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta, highlighting Francis’s focus on peripheral regions. The Congregation of Cardinals approved all 135 eligible electors, overriding the nominal 120-voter limit set by Universi Dominici Gregis.

Notable exclusions in 2025 include Giovanni Angelo Becciu, barred from voting after resigning cardinalatial rights in 2020 due to a financial scandal, a decision reaffirmed on 30 April 2025. The College’s leadership is also affected by age restrictions, with Dean Giovanni Battista Re and Vice-Dean Leonardo Sandri ineligible to vote, leaving Pietro Parolin to preside. The College’s current state, with its unprecedented size and diversity, positions it to address global challenges, from interfaith dialogue to social justice, in the conclave’s deliberations.

Appointment and eligibility

Cardinals are appointed by the pope in consistories, formal ceremonies where new cardinals receive the red biretta and ring as symbols of their office. Appointments recognize contributions to the Church, whether through pastoral leadership, theological scholarship, or Vatican service. Pope Francis’s consistories, held regularly since 2013, prioritized bishops from underrepresented regions, such as Chibly Langlois of Haiti or Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga, diversifying the College’s cultural and ideological makeup. In 2025, 108 of the 135 electors owe their appointments to Francis, giving his legacy significant weight in the conclave.

Eligibility for conclave voting is governed by Ingravescentem aetatem (1970), which restricts participation to cardinals under 80 at the start of the sede vacante. The 2025 conclave’s 135 eligible electors exceed the nominal 120-voter limit, a precedent seen in earlier conclaves under John Paul II and Francis. Non-voting cardinals over 80, like Re and Sandri, participate in general congregations and consistories, offering experience and continuity, as seen in their contributions to the 2025 preparations. The Congregation of Cardinals’ decision to allow all eligible electors reflects the need to accommodate the College’s expanded size.

The appointment process is not without controversy, as seen in the 2020 Becciu case, where financial misconduct led to his exclusion from conclave voting. Cardinals must also navigate health challenges, with Cañizares Llovera and Njue’s absences in 2025 highlighting the physical demands of conclave participation. The eligibility rules ensure a balance between fresh perspectives and institutional memory, with the 2025 College’s diverse electors poised to select a pope who can address both traditional and emerging global issues.

Significance in 2025

The 2025 conclave underscores the College of Cardinals’ critical role in shaping the Catholic Church’s future, amplified by its unprecedented size and diversity. Pope Francis’s appointments have tilted the College toward the Global South, with cardinals from regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia bringing perspectives on poverty, migration, and interreligious dialogue to the fore. This shift has fueled speculation about a non-European pope, with names like Péter Erdő (Hungary), Fridolin Ambongo (Congo), and Matteo Zuppi (Italy) cited as papabili, though conclaves often yield surprises. The College’s global composition reflects the Church’s 1.4 billion members, increasingly centered outside Europe.

Ideological tensions within the College, between progressive and conservative factions, are evident in 2025, with debates on synodality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and clerical reform shaping pratiche discussions. Cardinals like Reinhard Marx and Louis Sako advocate for continuity with Francis’s reforms, while others, like Rainer Woelki, emphasize traditional doctrine. The College’s ability to navigate these divides, as seen in the general congregations’ focus on spiritual discernment, will determine the conclave’s outcome and the Church’s direction for decades. The Italian fantasy league Fantapapa, with 75,000 players betting on candidates, reflects public fascination, though gambling is prohibited by canon law.

The College’s significance extends beyond the conclave, as its members will guide the new pope in addressing global challenges, from climate change to secularization. The 2025 preparations, including the Sistine Chapel’s closure and the electors’ residence at Domus Sanctae Marthae, highlight the College’s logistical and symbolic responsibilities. As a body bridging tradition and modernity, the College of Cardinals in 2025 stands as a microcosm of the Church’s complexities, tasked with electing a leader capable of uniting a diverse and polarized faithful.

See also

• Papal conclave
• 2025 papal conclave
• Universi Dominici Gregis
• List of cardinals

Further reading

• Walsh, Michael J. (2011). The Cardinals: Thirteen Centuries of the Men Behind the Papacy. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8028-2941-2.
• Allen Jr., John L. (2002). Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-50453-9.
• Baumgartner, Frederic J. (2003). Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-29463-2.

External links

• Holy See: The College of Cardinals
• Wikipedia: College of Cardinals