Two Catholic cardinals will not participate in next week’s Vatican conclave to elect a new pope, due to health reasons, the Vatican announced on Tuesday.
If all other eligible cardinals attend, 133 cardinals will be present for the sacred process of choosing the successor to Pope Francis, who passed away earlier this month.
Cardinals attend a holy mass a day after the funeral of Pope Francis, at St Peter’s Square in The Vatican, on April 27, 2025. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
The Vatican did not release the names of the two absent cardinals. However, a source within the Archdiocese of Valencia confirmed to AFP that Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal Antonio Canizares will be unable to attend due to medical issues.
Currently, 135 Catholic cardinals are eligible to vote in the secretive papal election, which will be held in the Sistine Chapel beginning May 7. The conclave, steeped in centuries-old tradition, is expected to span several days.
With two cardinals absent, the two-thirds majority required to elect the next pope now stands at 89 votes.
“If all the others attend, there will be 133 cardinals present.”
The upcoming conclave is drawing global attention as the world awaits the election of the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
