Who will be the next pope and does it matter?

On Monday, March 4, 2013, a group of Roman Catholic Cardinals sent Joseph Ratzinger, the former pope, a telegram expressing gratitude for his service.  I read that headline and said, “Telegram?  Telegram!?  People still send telegrams???”  

In my 40+ years, I have never sent or received a telegram and would not know how to do so if my life depended upon it.  I Googled it and still don’t know how to send a telegram because even Western Union stopped transmitting telegrams. 

But, maybe when a guy announces his retirement in Latin, sending a farewell message using Morse code is just what you do.  Carrier pigeons aren’t much used anymore for communication, the Pony Express is defunct and was U.S.-only anyway, and they reserve the use of smoke signals for announcing a new pope.  Perhaps they figured this was their next best anti-modern alternative.

The pope’s resignation speech delivered in Latin screamed, “I’m out of touch!”  The Cardinals sending him a telegram shouts back, “Not to worry!  So are we!!!!”  Yet, meanwhile, back in the 21^st century, a February, 2013 survey indicates that the vast majority of U.S. Catholics believe the Church is – you guessed it – out of touch.   And these out of touch Cardinals will soon elect from among their out of touch brotherhood, the next pope.  What are the chances that the next pope will be in touch with the faithful or the modern world in which they reside?

So, while many people question who will be the next pope, I wonder, “Does it matter?”

The same survey indicated that most U.S. Catholics hope the church will do an “about face” on most of the hierarchy’s favorite topics: birth control, married clergy, female clergy, and the treatment of homosexuals.  It also indicated that about 80% of Catholics will follow their conscience rather than what the pope says.  So, again with regards to who is elected pope I ask, “Does it matter?” 

Yeah, that person will get to wear some kickin’ red designer shoes and have quite a collection of fancy hats and robes.  Yeah that person can publish edicts, encyclicals and bulls and even give weekly addresses to thousands of people in a rock-star celebrity atmosphere, but who’s actually listening and more importantly, who’s following? 

Much like England still has ceremonial royalty that captivates the hearts of many a Brit while confusing the rest of the world, is the papacy just another mostly impotent nostalgic ornament?  Yes, yes, the pope will be one of only six absolute monarchs in the world along with the rulers of the esteemed countries of Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Swaziland.  But let’s put this in perspective.  As of March 2011, the Vatican had 572 citizens, 220 of whom actually lived in Vatican City while the other 352 were apostolic nuncios (ambassadors to other countries) and their staff.  A person can only become a Vatican citizen through appointment and the overwhelming majority of those appointees are single male clergy.  Despite the hierarchy’s unyielding stance on birth control, a population explosion in the Vatican is unlikely.  How much of a world power can and should a state of 500 or so be?

The media report that the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics are “without a leader.”  Let’s see, 80% of Catholics say they follow their conscience rather than what the pope says. Furthermore, 97% of Catholic women use birth control despite the pope’s edicts.  A majority of Catholics support female and married clergy as well as equal treatment of homosexuals in secular society.  Doesn’t a leader by definition need followers?  Doesn’t the prima facie evidence indicate that most Catholics don’t follow the pope?  So by definition, was he actually ever leader of the 1.2 billion Catholics?

By the way, since a valid bishop in the Apostolic Succession ordained a group of Roman Catholic women priests in 2002, the number of ordained Catholic women has grown each year over the last 10 years by 33%.  In contrast, the number of ordained males grew by a mere %0.06 after years of declining numbers.  Yes, do the math.  Ordained vocations of women are growing at a 550 times faster rate than those of men despite the pope excommunicating people, penalizing people, declaring female ordinations the worst of all sins and saying “it simply cannot happen.”  I ask again, who does the pope lead?

Any power the pope has outside of his little kingdom of less than 600 people is because people choose to give him that power. More and more, people choose not to grant the pope powers which resulted in his frustrated attempts to vociferously assert his power.  It calls to mind a situation I once had in high school where the principal called me into his office to rant at me that he was in charge.  I sat calmly with my head cocked to one side listening to him yell at me – red-faced, arms flapping, stomping around his office.  When he finished I said in an even matter-of-fact tone, “If you were in charge, you wouldn’t need to tell me that.  In fact, you’re not in charge and are worried that I am.” And, I left his office.  I think there’s a fair amount of that occurring in the church these days. 

There are people who have a nostalgic view of the position of pope though they don’t listen to its office holder.  There are also people who make a lot of money from idolizing the pope – the media, the hierarchy, religious goods vendors to name a few.  So, I don’t think the office of pope will disappear anytime soon.  But, I do think the power of the office is changing dramatically.  To what extent it changes depends more so upon the 1.2 billion Catholics and how much power they wish to grant the officeholder than upon what the next person with the custom-made red shoes decides to do in the office.

My mom used to tell me about one of her favorite Mahalia Jackson songs, “Let the Church Roll On.”  After she died a year ago I loaded her Mahalia Jackson CDs onto my iPod but never listened to them until recently when that song played in random shuffle mode.  I was struck by the song’s lyrics, “If a preacher in the church and he don’t preach right, say what should we do?  Well, we won’t do that, we’ll just pray for him and let the church roll on!”

The church is rolling on – with or without the hierarchy.  So while they respond to Latin spouted resignations by sending telegrams into a tweeting world, I on behalf of many in the church offer them as food for contemplation the sentiments in the lyrics to another song about rolling, “Roll with the Changes” by REO Speedwagon.  We are tired of the same old story (lies, manipulation, clergy abuse, lack of accountability, lack of compassion, corruption, ignoring the poor, disenfranchising women, bashing gays, ignorance about human sexuality and psychology, a sexually active clergy that presents a facade of continence, etc...) and would like you to turn some pages to roll with the changes, guys.  Our cup is on the table with our love spillin’ and we’re just waiting here for you to take and drink of it.  But, if you don’t, we’re gonna let the church roll on.  Are you going to join us trying to imitate Christ's care for the poor and marginalized or stay behind enshrouded in your delusions of power, superiority and grandeur, spouting Latin and sending telegrams?

As soon as you are able, woman, I am willin'
To make the break that we are on the brink of 

My cup is on the table - my love is spillin'
Waiting here for you to take and drink of
 
So, if you're tired of the same old story, oh, turn some pages
I will be here when you are ready to roll with the changes
 
I knew it had to happen - felt the tables turnin'
Got me through my darkest hour

I heard the thunder clappin' - felt the desert burnin'
Until you poured on me like a sweet sun shower
 
So, if you're tired of the same old story, oh, turn some pages
I will be here when you are ready to roll with the changes
(oh, yeah)
 
So, if you're tired of the same old story, oh, baby, turn some pages
I will be here when you are ready to roll with the changes, baby
Roll with the changes

Oh, you know, you know, you know you got to... Keep on rollin' (oh, yeah) Keep on rollin' Roll with the changes (keep on rollin') Keep on rollin' (oh, yeah) Keep on rollin' Oh, now roll with the changes (oh, baby) Keep on rollin' (oh, baby) Keep on rollin' Oh, you got to learn to roll with the changes (got to, got to, got to, gotto...) Keep on rollin' (got to keep on) Keep on rollin' Oh, you got to learn to, got to learn to, got to learn to roll Keep on rollin' Keep on rollin' (ooooooooooooo)...

"Roll With the Changes" by REO Speedwagon.

A Lenten Prayer in Preparation for a Conclave

I wish you a blessed Ash Wednesday and may your 2013 Lenten journey bring you closer to God and God's creation.

The church teaches that clergy and most especially the pope are to remind people of Jesus.  As the College of Cardinals prepares to elect the next pope, let us pray for their increased understanding of what recalls Jesus for others.  For most people, it is not tied in any way to his sexual organs but rather to his compassion walking closely with and healing suffering people.

What are the odds that the Cardinals will choose such a person?

The distribution of voting Cardinals doesn’t mirror the distribution of Catholic population.  Europe has over 50% of voting Cardinals but only about 25% of the worldwide Catholic population.   Within that, almost 25% of voting Cardinals are from Italy where only 4 to 5% of the world’s Catholics live.  Africa, Asia-Pacific and North America are somewhat under-represented.  However, Latin America has almost 1/3 of worldwide Catholics but only about 16% of the voting Cardinals – that’s about 1 in 6 Cardinals.  Even if the voting Cardinals know the struggles of their own people, there are large populations of Catholics that are under-represented.

But I question that this group of mostly Caucasian males, 95% of whom are over 60 years old, 100% of whom are not married and childless, will credibly represent the needs of people from whom they are increasingly detached.

Thus, let us pray for a Conclave characterized by Cardinals who are passionately compassionate.

Oh God, send your Spirit crashing upon the senses and lives of the Cardinals.  May it wash over them like the tears of all the oppressed, especially those oppressed by the clergy.

May their hearts be pierced with the sustained intense pains of every child abused by a priest, or disillusioned by ineffective callous bishops’ handling of abuses, and of every child dying from malnutrition or lack of healthcare, as well as those discarded as unwanted before birth.

May their souls feel the screaming pain of every woman who is or has been abused, marginalized, devalued, discriminated against, suffered troubled pregnancies, or in any way been prevented from becoming the person God made her to be.

May they be blessed sensing the mental and emotional shredding of every person ignored, or categorized, labeled and rejected - by them or by anyone.

May their eyes burn with the vision of people suffering needlessly of AIDs or other diseases due to the hierarchy’s teachings, and may they grieve each lost life as though it was their only begotten child.

May they feel the pain of every person needlessly torn between choosing God's calls for them to be both ordained and married.

May they feel the "kick in the gut" nausea of every person misguided when seeking pastoral care by men lacking practical understanding of married and family living.

May they feel the dehumanizing agony of every person struggling to reconcile who God made them to be with who the clergy thinks God should have made them to be.

May they feel the painful confusion of everyone, especially the young and those outside the church, unable to reconcile Jesus' teachings with clerical actions and preachings.

May they know the angst of the faithful so disillusioned by the hierarchy that they think they must flee the church or lose faith in the Holy Trinity.

May they feel the painful damage caused by every single violation of truth committed by the church's hierarchy, especially those tolerated in an interest of preserving hierarchical power.

May they feel every sensation of angst inflicted upon others by their ignorance or arrogance.

And may they cast their votes with their hearts aligned with the heart of Jesus for a pope whose heart is similarly aligned.

If you'd like to pray for the Cardinals by name, here is a list.  Though only those under the age of 80 by February 28, 2013 will be able to vote, I include the full list of Cardinals with the names of those eligible to vote bolded.  They are grouped according to rank and tenure. 

92 Cardinals are ineligible to vote.

10 Voting Cardinals from Africa

1 Voting Cardinal from ANZ (Australia New Zealand)

10 Voting Cardinals from Asia-Pacific

61 Voting Cardinals from Europe including 28 voting Cardinals from Italy

19 Voting Cardinals from Latin America

2 Voting Cardinals from the Middle East

13 Voting Cardinals from North America

Cardinals of the Order of Bishops

Titular Bishops of Seven Suburbicarian Sees

Angelo Sodano* (Italy) - born 23 November 1927 – ineligible to vote

Roger Etchegaray* (France) - born 25 September 1922 – ineligible to vote

Giovanni Battista Re (Italy) - born 30 January 1934

Francis Arinze* (Nigeria) - born 1 November 1932 – ineligible to vote

Tarcisio Bertone (Italy) - born 2 December 1934

José Saraiva Martins* (Portugal) - born 6 January 1932 – ineligible to vote

Patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches

Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir* (Lebanon) - born 15 May 1920 –ineligible to vote

Emmanuel III Delly* (Iraq) - born 6 October 1927 – ineligible to vote

Antonios Naguib (Egypt) - born 7 March 1935

Bechara Boutros al-Rahi (Lebanon) - born 25 February 1940

Cardinals of the Order of Priests

Paulo Evaristo Arns* (Brazil) - born 14 September 1921 – ineligible to vote

William Wakefield Baum* (United States) - born 21 November 1926 – ineligible to vote

Marco Cé* (Italy) - born 8 July 1925 – ineligible to vote

Franciszek Macharski* (Poland) - born 20 May 1927 – ineligible to vote

Michael Michai Kitbunchu* (Thailand) - born 26 January 1929 – ineligible to vote

Alexandre do Nascimento* (Angola) - born 1 March 1925 – ineligible to vote

Godfried Danneels (Belgium) - born 5 June 1933

Thomas Stafford Williams* (New Zealand) - born 20 March 1930 – ineligible to vote

Joachim Meisner (Germany) - born 25 December 1933

Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy* (India) - born 5 February 1924 – ineligible to vote

Miguel Obando y Bravo* (Nicaragua) - born 2 February 1926 – ineligible to vote

Ricardo Vidal* (Philippines) - born 6 February 1931 – ineligible to vote

Henryk Gulbinowicz* (Poland) - long reported as born 17 October 1928 but announced 2 February 2005 that he had concealed his real age in the wartime conditions of 1944 and was really born in 1923 – either way he’s ineligible to vote

Jozef Tomko* (Slovakia) - born 11 March 1924 – ineligible to vote

Paul Poupard* (France) - born 30 August 1930 – ineligible to vote

Friedrich Wetter* (Germany) - born 20 February 1928 – ineligible to vote

Silvano Piovanelli* (Italy) - born 21 February 1924 - ineligible to vote

Adrianus Johannes Simonis* (Netherlands) - ineligible to vote

Bernard Francis Law* (United States) - born 4 November 1931 - ineligible to vote

Giacomo Biffi* (Italy) - born 13 June 1928 - ineligible to vote

Eduardo Martínez Somalo* (Spain) - born 31 March 1927 - ineligible to vote

Achille Silvestrini* (Italy) - born 25 October 1923 - ineligible to vote

José Freire Falcão* (Brazil) - born 23 October 1925 – ineligible to vote

Alexandre José Maria dos Santos* (Mozambique) - born 18 March 1924 - ineligible to vote

Giovanni Canestri* (Italy) - born 30 September 1918 - ineligible to vote

Simon Pimenta* (India) - born 1 March 1920 - ineligible to vote

Edward Bede Clancy* (Australia) - born 13 December 1923 - ineligible to vote

Edmund Casimir Szoka* (United States) - born 14 September 1927 - ineligible to vote

László Paskai* (Hungary) - born 8 May 1927 - ineligible to vote

Christian Wiyghan Tumi* (Cameroon) - born 15 October 1930 - ineligible to vote

Edward Idris Cassidy* (Australia) - born 5 July 1924 - ineligible to vote

Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez (Dominican Republic) - born 31 October 1936

Fiorenzo Angelini* (Italy) - born 1 August 1916 - ineligible to vote

Roger Mahony (United States) - born 27 February 1936

Camillo Ruini* (Italy) - born 19 February 1931 - ineligible to vote

Ján Chryzostom Korec* (Slovakia) - born 22 January 1924 - ineligible to vote

Henri Schwery* (Switzerland) - born 14 June 1932 - ineligible to vote

Miloslav Vlk* (Czech Republic) - born 17 May 1932 - ineligible to vote

Carlo Furno* (Italy) - born 2 December 1921 - ineligible to vote

Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja (Indonesia) - born 20 December 1934

Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino (Cuba) - born 18 October 1936

Gilberto Agustoni* (Switzerland) - born 26 July 1922 - ineligible to vote

Emmanuel Wamala* (Uganda) - born 15 December 1926 - ineligible to vote

William Henry Keeler* (United States) - born 4 March 1931 - ineligible to vote

Jean-Claude Turcotte (Canada) - born 26 June 1936

Ricardo María Carles Gordó* (Spain) - born 24 September 1926 - ineligible to vote

Adam Joseph Maida* (United States) - born 18 March 1930 - ineligible to vote

Vinko Puljić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - born 8 September 1945

Juan Sandoval Íñiguez (Mexico) - born 28 March 1933

Ersilio Tonini* (Italy) - born 20 July 1914 - ineligible to vote

Jorge Medina Estévez* (Chile) - born 23 December 1926 - ineligible to vote

Darío Castrillón Hoyos* (Colombia) - born 4 July 1929 - ineligible to vote

Lorenzo Antonetti* (Italy) - born 31 July 1922 - ineligible to vote

James Francis Stafford* (United States) - born 26 July 1932 - ineligible to vote

Salvatore De Giorgi* (Italy) - born 6 September 1930 - ineligible to vote

Serafim Fernandes de Araújo* (Brazil) - born 13 August 1924 - ineligible to vote

Antonio María Rouco Varela (Spain) - born 24 August 1936

Dionigi Tettamanzi (Italy) - born 14 March 1934

Polycarp Pengo (Tanzania) - born 5 August 1944

Christoph Schönborn; OP (Austria) - born 22 January 1945

Norberto Rivera Carrera (Mexico) - born 6 June 1942

Francis Eugene George (United States) - born 16 January 1937

Marian Jaworski* (Ukraine) - born 21 August 1926 - ineligible to vote

Jānis Pujāts* (Latvia) - born 14 November 1930 - ineligible to vote

Agostino Cacciavillan* (Italy) - born 14 August 1926 - ineligible to vote

Sergio Sebastiani* (Italy) - born 11 April 1931 - ineligible to vote

Zenon Grocholewski (Poland) - born 11 October 1939

Crescenzio Sepe (Italy) - born 2 June 1943

Jorge María Mejía* (Argentina) - born 31 January 1923 - ineligible to vote

Walter Kasper (Germany) - born 5 March 1933

Ivan Dias (India) - born 14 April 1936

Geraldo Majella Agnelo (Brazil) - born 19 October 1933

Pedro Rubiano Sáenz* (Colombia) - born 13 September 1932 - ineligible to vote

Theodore Edgar McCarrick* (United States) - born 7 July 1930 - ineligible to vote

Desmond Connell* (Ireland) - born 24 March 1926 - ineligible to vote

Audrys Juozas Bačkis (Lithuania) - born 1 February 1937

Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa (Chile) - born 5 September 1933

Julio Terrazas Sandoval (Bolivia) - born 7 March 1936

Wilfrid Fox Napier (South Africa) - born 8 March 1941

Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga; SDB (Honduras) - born 29 December 1942

Bernard Agré* (Côte d'Ivoire) - born 2 March 1926 - ineligible to vote

Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne (Peru) - born 28 December 1943

Francisco Álvarez Martínez* (Spain) - born 14 July 1925 - ineligible to vote

Cláudio Hummes (Brazil) - born 8 August 1934

Jorge Mario Bergoglio; SJ (Argentina) - born 17 December 1936

José IV Policarpo (Portugal) - born 26 February 1936

Severino Poletto (Italy) - born 18 March 1933

Cormac Murphy-O'Connor* (England & Wales) - born 24 August 1932 - ineligible to vote

Edward Michael Egan* (United States) - born 2 April 1932 - ineligible to vote

Lubomyr Husar (Ukraine) - born 26 February 1933 – will be ineligible to vote

Karl Lehmann (Germany) - born 16 May 1936

Jean Marcel Honoré* (France) - born 13 August 1920 - ineligible to vote

Roberto Tucci* (Italy) - born 19 April 1921 - ineligible to vote

Angelo Scola (Italy) - born 7 November 1941

Anthony Olubumni Okogie (Nigeria) - born 16 June 1936

Bernard Panafieu* (France) - born 26 January 1931 - ineligible to vote

Gabriel Zubeir Wako (Sudan) - born 27 February 1939

Carlos Amigo Vallejo (Spain) - born 23 August 1934

Justin Francis Rigali (United States) - born 19 April 1935

Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien (Scotland) - born 17 March 1938

Eusebio Oscar Scheid* (Brazil) - born 8 December 1932 - ineligible to vote

Ennio Antonelli (Italy) - born 18 November 1936

Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghana) - born 11 October 1948

Telesphore Placidus Toppo (India) - born 13 October 1939

George Pell (Australia) - born 8 April 1941

Josip Bozanić (Croatia) - born 20 March 1949

Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn (Vietnam) - born 5 March 1934

Philippe Barbarin (France) - born 17 October 1950

Péter Erdő (Hungary) - born 25 June 1952

Marc Ouellet (Canada) - born 8 June 1944

Agostino Vallini (Italy) - born 17 April 1940

Jorge Urosa (Venezuela) - born 28 August 1942

Gaudencio Borbon Rosales* (Philippines) - born 10 August 1932 - ineligible to vote

Jean-Pierre Ricard (France) - born 25 September 1944

Antonio Cañizares Llovera (Spain) - born 15 October 1945

Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk* (South Korea) - born 7 December 1931 - ineligible to vote

Seán Patrick O'Malley (United States) - born 29 June 1944

Stanisław Dziwisz (Poland) - born 27 April 1939

Carlo Caffarra (Italy) - born 1 June 1938

Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun* (Hong Kong[10]) - born 13 January 1932 - ineligible to vote

Seán Brady (Ireland) - born 16 August 1939

Lluís Martínez Sistach (Spain) - born 29 April 1937

André Armand Vingt-Trois (France) - born 7 November 1942

Angelo Bagnasco (Italy) - born 14 January 1943

Théodore-Adrien Sarr (Senegal) - born 28 November 1936

Oswald Gracias (India) - born 24 December 1944

Francisco Robles Ortega (Mexico) - born 2 March 1949

Daniel DiNardo (United States) - born 23 May 1949

Odilo Pedro Scherer (Brazil) - born 21 September 1949

John Njue (Kenya) - born 1944

Estanislao Esteban Karlic* (Argentina) - born 7 February 1926 - ineligible to vote

Medardo Joseph Mazombwe* (Zambia) - born 24 September 1931 - ineligible to vote

Raúl Eduardo Vela Chiriboga (Ecuador) - born 1 January 1934

Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (Democratic Republic of the Congo) - born 7 October 1939

Paolo Romeo (Italy) - born 20 February 1938

Donald William Wuerl (United States) - born 12 November 1940

Raymundo Damasceno Assis (Brazil) - born 15 February 1937

Kazimierz Nycz (Poland) - born 1 February 1950

Patabendige Don Albert Malcolm Ranjith (Sri Lanka) - born 15 November 1947

Reinhard Marx (Germany) - born 21 September 1953

José Manuel Estepa Llaurens* (Spain) - born 1 January 1926 - ineligible to vote

George Alencherry (India) - born 19 April 1945

Thomas Christopher Collins (Canada) - born 16 January 1947

Dominik Duka; OP (Czech Republic) - born 26 April 1943

Willem Jacobus Eijk (Netherlands) - born 22 June 1953

Giuseppe Betori (Italy) - born 25 February 1947

Timothy M. Dolan (United States) - born 6 February 1950

Rainer Maria Woelki (Germany) - born 18 August 1956

John Tong Hon (Hong Kong) - born 31 July 1939

Lucian Mureșan* (Romania) - born 23 May 1931 - ineligible to vote

Baselios Cleemis (India) - born 15 June 1959

John Onaiyekan (Nigeria) - born 29 January 1944

Rubén Salazar Gómez (Colombia) - born 22 September 1942

Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines) - born 21 June 1957

Cardinal-Deacons

Jean-Louis Tauran (France) - born 3 April 1943

Renato Raffaele Martino* (Italy) - born 23 November 1932 - ineligible to vote

Francesco Marchisano* (Italy) - born 25 June 1929 - ineligible to vote

Julián Herranz Casado* (Spain) - born 31 March 1930 - ineligible to vote

Javier Lozano Barragán* (Mexico) - born 26 January 1933 - ineligible to vote

Attilio Nicora (Italy) - born 16 March 1937

Georges Marie Martin Cottier*; OP (Switzerland) - born 25 April 1922 - ineligible to vote

Stanisław Nagy* (Poland) - born 30 September 1921 - ineligible to vote

William Joseph Levada (United States) - born 15 June 1936

Franc Rodé (Slovenia) - born 23 September 1934

Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo* (Italy) - born 27 August 1925 - ineligible to vote

Albert Vanhoye* (France) - born 23 July 1923 - ineligible to vote

Leonardo Sandri (Argentina) - born 18 November 1943

Giovanni Lajolo (Italy) - born 3 January 1935

Paul Josef Cordes (Germany) - born 5 September

Angelo Comastri (Italy) - born 17 September 1943

Stanisław Ryłko (Poland) - born 4 July 1945

Raffaele Farina (Italy) - born 24 September 1933

Giovanni Coppa* (Italy) - born 9 November 1925 - ineligible to vote

Angelo Amato (Italy) - born 8 June 1938

Robert Sarah (Guinea) - born 15 June 1945

Francesco Monterisi (Italy) - born 28 May 1934

Raymond Leo Burke (United States) - born 30 June 1948

Kurt Koch (Switzerland) - born 15 March 1950

Paolo Sardi (Italy) - born 1 September 1934

Mauro Piacenza (Italy) - born 15 September 1944

Velasio de Paolis (Italy) - born 19 September 1935

Gianfranco Ravasi (Italy) - born 18 October 1942

Elio Sgreccia* (Italy) - born 6 June 1928 - ineligible to vote

Walter Brandmüller* (Germany) - born 26 January 1929 - ineligible to vote

Domenico Bartolucci* (Italy) - born 7 May 1917 - ineligible to vote

Fernando Filoni (Italy) - born 15 April 1946

Manuel Monteiro de Castro (Portugal) - born 29 March 1938

Santos Abril y Castelló (Spain) - born 21 September 1935

Antonio Maria Vegliò (Italy) - born 3 February 1938

Giuseppe Bertello (Italy) - born 1 October 1942

Francesco Coccopalmerio (Italy) - born 6 March 1938

João Braz de Aviz (Brazil) - born 24 April 1947

Edwin Frederick O'Brien (United States) - born 8 April 1939

Domenico Calcagno (Italy) - born 3 February 1943

Giuseppe Versaldi (Italy) - born 30 July 1943

Julien Ries* (Belgium) - born 19 April 1920 - ineligible to vote

Prosper Grech* (Malta) - born 24 December 1925 - ineligible to vote

Karl Becker* (Germany) - born 18 April 1928 - ineligible to vote