The conclave which should start on May 7 will be the first to include 133 cardinal voters, but this is not the first time that the Cardinal College exceeds the limit of 120.
By Tiziana Campisi and Kielce Gussie
A 133 confirmed cardinals will participate in the next conclave to elect the next successor from Saint-Pierre.
Based on a paragraph of the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG), the limits of voting cardinals is 120 to 13 less than what the College of Cardinals has announced will participate next week.
However, the number of cardinals in college has often exceeded the limit, despite the regulations established in UDG.
An in progress tradition?
It was on October 1, 1975 that Pope Paul VI established the rule for the first time that the “maximum number of cardinal voters did not exceed 120” in the Apostolic Constitution, Romano Pontifici Eligendo. Before that, in the Consistory of 1969, the college of Cardinals reached 134 voters.
Despite Pope John Paul II confirming the rule limiting the number to 120, recent popes created more cardinals, exceeding this number.
The cardinals come together to elect a new pope in 1978
This was the case on four times for the Polish pope: in the consistory of June 28, 1988 (160 cardinals, including 121 voters and 39 non-electors), February 21, 1998 (165 cardinals, including 122 voters and 43 non-electors), February 21, 2001 (183 cardinals, of which 136 were electors and 47 non-Electors), and October. and 47 non-Electors), and in October, of which 136 were electors and 47 non-electors), and in October, of which 136 were electors and 47 non-electors), and 21, 194 (194, 196 (19 years old. Les Cardinaux, 134 of which were voters and 60 non-electors).
After the death of Pope John Paul II, the conclave opened its doors on April 18, 2005 with the Cardinals College composed of 183 cardinals-117 voters and 66 non-electors.
Keep up
This continued with Pope Benoît XVI, who exceeded the number of 120 cardinal voters twice: in the consistory of November 20, 2010 (203 cardinals, including 121 voters and 82 non-electors), and February 18, 2012 (213 cardinals, of which 125 were voters and 88 non-electoral).
When he resigned in 2013 and with the conclave that followed, the college of cardinals was made up of 207 cardinals – only 117 were voters.
Pope Francis followed suit and made the number of college greater than 120 in 10 Constories:
February 22, 2014 (218 cardinals: 122 voters, 96 non-electors)
February 14, 2015 (227 cardinals: 125 voters, 102 non-electors)
November 19, 2016 (228 cardinals: 121 voters, 107 non-electors)
June 28, 2017 (225 cardinals: 121 voters, 104 non-electors)
June 28, 2018 (226 cardinals: 125 voters, 101 non-electors)
October 5, 2019 (225 cardinals: 128 voters, 97 non-electors)
November 28, 2020 (229 cardinals: 128 voters, 101 non-electors)
August 27, 2022 (226 cardinals: 132 voters, 94 non-electors)
September 30, 2023 (242 cardinals: 137 voters, 105 non-electors)
December 7, 2024 (253 cardinals: 140 voters, 113 non-electors)
Exceptions may occur
Despite a story of exceeding the limit, this 2025 conclave will be the first time that we will take place with more than 120 cardinal voters.
The Cardinal College published a declaration on April 30, recognizing the right of the 133 voters to participate in the upcoming conclave and to determine that the legislative provision of the UDG had been tacitly provided by Pope Francis when the fixed limit was exceeded.
During the 1969 papal elections, the Cardinal College reached 134 voters.
Universi Dominic Gregis, Article 36 stipulates: “A cardinal of the Roman Roman Church which was created and published in a Consistory has, by this fact, the right to elect the Pope.”
The Apostolic Constitution adds that any cardinal who has not been tabled canonically or has not “given up the cardinal with the consent of the Roman pontiff” can participate in the election of the new pope of the Catholic Church.
