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Herald Malaysia
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Kenyan cardinal claims he wasn't invited for conclave
Vatican says invite is automatic, but comment set off a flurry of headlines and online chatter in Kenya May 07, 2025 The then-Argentinian cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (left), who was later elected as pope, and Kenyan cardinal John Njue leave during a break in a meeting of a conclave to elect a new pope on March 4, 2013, at the Vatican. (Photo: AFP) By Ines San Martin, OSV News Of the 135 cardinals eligible to enter the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to elect the next pope, one absence has sparked confusion, controversy and no small amount of speculation, almost as if it were a plot point of the movie "Conclave." Kenyan Cardinal John Njue, 79, will not take part in the election of the 267th pope, despite technically being eligible to vote. The reason? That depends on whom you ask. In an interview published May 5 by The Daily Nation , a leading Kenyan daily, Cardinal Njue offered a surprising explanation for his absence: "Those who go there for the election are usually sent official invites, and that has not happened on my part," he said. "The fact is that I have not been invited." The comment set off a flurry of headlines and online chatter in Kenya, adding yet another twist to the story of a cardinal who has, over the years, been repeatedly declared dead on social media -- wrongly, of course. To complicate matters further, official Vatican records have quietly edited his age. For years, Cardinal Njue was listed as born in 1944, which would have made him ineligible to vote in this conclave. But the 2024 edition of the Annuario Pontificio , the Vatican's official yearbook, now records his birthday as January 1, 1946 -- just young enough to participate. That revision was first reported in Italian media in 2024. In Radiotelevisione Svizzera , Vatican journalist Paolo Rodari summed it up this way: "An absence announced. ... The Kenyan prelate, several times declared dead on social media, was last seen on April 25 at a Mass in memory of Pope Francis. But he will not be able to make the trip to Rome." A day after Cardinal Njue's remarks were published, the archdiocese issued an official statement from Archbishop Philip Anyolo, aiming to clear the air. According to the May 6 press release, Cardinal Njue was invited through the apostolic nunciature in Kenya, and the archbishop had to decline due to health reasons. "In response to various inquiries concerning whether His Eminence John Cardinal Njue, will be participating in the forthcoming conclave," Archbishop Anyolo wrote, "I hereby confirm that although His Eminence is eligible to participate and was officially invited to through the Apostolic Nunciature in Kenya," the apostolic nuncio, in concurrence with the office of the archbishop of Nairobi, "duly communicated the competent office of the Holy See that, owing to his current health condition, His Eminence John Cardinal Njue will be unable to travel to Rome and take part in the Conclave," the statement read. The statement from the archbishop makes it clear that it was he, Archbishop Anyolo, who along with the papal representative in the country, Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, declined the invitation on behalf of the cardinal. "Cardinal electors can participate 'de iure' (by law), they don't need an invitation to be present," said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. "The dean of the college of cardinals might check if the cardinal is coming, and I believe this was the case with the cardinal from Kenya." Come May 7, 133 cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel -- all the members of the college of cardinals who are under the age of 80, minus Cardinal Njue and Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, who has himself confirmed he would not be coming to
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Vatican Alters Birth Records for Two African Cardinals Ahead of Conclave
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Vatican has updated the ages of two African cardinals—John Njue of Kenya and Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso—effectively making both eligible to vote in the upcoming papal conclave despite previously being considered too old. The change appeared in the 2025 edition of the Vatican's Annuario Pontificio, the authoritative yearbook of the Holy See. Why It Matters Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, preparations for the conclave are well underway. The rare adjustment has expanded the number of voting cardinals to 135, amplifying African representation in the selection of the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church—a shift that could better reflect the Church's growing base in the Global South. The Vatican updated the ages of John Njue of Kenya and Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso—effectively making both eligible to vote in the upcoming papal conclave despite previously being considered too old. The Vatican updated the ages of John Njue of Kenya and Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso—effectively making both eligible to vote in the upcoming papal conclave despite previously being considered too old. Getty Images Since the reforms of Pope Paul VI in 1970, the rule disqualifying cardinals over 80 from voting in papal elections has shaped the balance of power inside the conclave. The sudden revision of birthdates shortly before a conclave alters that balance—especially by adding two senior prelates from Africa, a region that has seen exponential Catholic growth but limited influence in papal elections. What to Know The corrections alter previously accepted records that listed both Njue and Ouédraogo as born before 1945, which would have made them too old to vote under Church law. Their newly listed birth years—1946 and 1947, respectively—bring them under the canonical age limit of 80 for papal electors. Concerns have been raised within Catholic and media circles about whether retroactive alterations—particularly for electors from regions with less formal civil documentation systems—might be seen as political manipulation. "Not all countries enjoy the same quality of registry offices," explained Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni to reporters on Tuesday, and the initial statements on the date of birth "have been changed to a valid document." However, despite the change, only Ouédraogo will participate in the voting. Njue, 79, will miss the conclave due to ill health, according to a statement from Kenya's Archdiocese of Nairobi. Earlier confusion had suggested he had not been invited, but officials have since clarified that he was invited but had to decline due to medical reasons. "Although [the cardinal] is eligible to participate and was officially invited... owing to his current health condition [he] will be unable to travel to Rome," a statement signed by Archbishop Philip Anyolo said. Njue, who retired in 2021, is now one of only two eligible cardinals not participating in the conclave—the other being Cardinal Antonio Cañizares of Spain—bringing the total number of votes to 133, most of them reportedly handpicked by Francis, according to Vatican insiders. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrives in the New Hall of the Synod at the Vatican, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the last time before the start of the conclave starting in the afternoon of Wenesday, May 7,... Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrives in the New Hall of the Synod at the Vatican, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the last time before the start of the conclave starting in the afternoon of Wenesday, May 7, when they will elect the successor of Pope Francis. More AP The next pope will face a Church shaped by Francis's appointments and reforms. His tenure saw major structural changes, including the decentralization of the Vatican's power and the appointment of more non-European cardinals than any of his predecessors. How the Next Pope Is Chosen The election of a pope follows centuries-old Vatican traditions. The College of Cardinals will vote in secret ballots inside the Sistine Chapel. A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope. If no consensus is reached, additional rounds of voting will continue until a candidate emerges with the necessary support. When a round of voting does not reach consensus, ballots are burned and the black smoke that appears from the Sistine Chapel chimney signals to those watching on television and in St. Peter's Square that the conclave continues. When white smoke appears, a new pope has been chosen. What People Are Saying Ulrich Lehner, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, told Newsweek: "Pope Francis selected the majority of the cardinals who possess the right to vote. However, his approach to governance, characterized by unilateral decisions made without consultation with the College of Cardinals, has made it impossible to form interpersonal relationships among them." Archbishop Philip Anyolo said in a statement: "Let us also continue to pray for the good health of His Eminence John Cardinal Njue." What Happens Next As the conclave to elect the next pope begins Wednesday at the Vatican, four candidates have emerged as clear favorites—Cardinals Pietro Parolin, Luis Antonio Tagle, Matteo Zuppi, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa. They all have more than a 10 percent probability of being selected to replace Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church, according to the betting site Polymarket.
The Journal
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
After changing his date of birth, this Cardinal from Burkina Faso can now vote in the conclave
WE CAN ALL be guilty of leaving things to the last minute, but leaving something until the eve of your 80 th birthday can look a little suspect. The conclave to appoint the next pope will begin on 7 May and one Cardinal will be allowed a vote after he changed his age in the months running up to his 80 th birthday. Only Cardinals aged 80 or under when a pope dies (or resigns) are allowed a vote , and in March, it was reported that a Cardinal from Burkina Faso had legally changed his age. In last year's Annuario Pontificio, essentially a Vatican Yearbook, Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo's date of birth was listed at 25 January, 1945. On the Wayback Machine – an internet archive – his date of birth on the Vatican website is listed as 25 January, 1945 in a webpage capture from last year. Several news articles also reference his date of birth as being 25 January, 1945 and people wished him a happy 80 th birthday on a Facebook group for the parish of Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso, on 25 January last. However, in this year's Vatican yearbook and on the Vatican website , his date of birth is now 31 December, 1945 – 11 months later, granting him a vote in the conclave. Journalist Hendro Munstermann, of the Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, interviewed Ouédraogo on the issue in Burkina Faso in March. 'In my village, there were neither hospitals nor schools. I was born at home and was not given a birthdate,' said Ouédraogo. He added that when he became a priest in 1973, he had to choose one and came up with 25 January. However, in Burkina Faso it is common practice to assign 31 December as a birthdate when the actual date of birth is unknown. Advertisement Ouédraogo said his passport also lists 31 December, 1945 as his date of birth. But when asked why his date of birth had only been changed on the Vatican website and in the yearbook when he was approaching his 80 th birthday, Ouédraogo 'remained silent', according to Munstermann. Il Messaggero , an Italian daily newspaper based in Rome, joked that Quédraogo had 'found the secret to stopping time'. Final conclave list Earlier this week, another conclave drama came to an end when Angelo Becciu, an Italian cardinal convicted of embezzlement and stripped of his privileges by Pope Francis, confirmed he will not take part in the conclave. Meanwhile, it was originally thought that the conclave would involve 135 cardinals. But this has been reduced to 133, meaning the next pope requires 89 votes to be elected. Two voting cardinals have dropped out due to illness, John Njue, a Cardinal from Kenya, and Antonio Canizares Llovera, a Spanish Cardinal. Last year, Cardinal Njue, who won't vote due to illness, similarly became two years younger when the Vatican changed his date of birth from being the somewhat vague '1944' to 1 January, 1946. Elsewhere, while Cardinal Vinko Puljić is too ill to be in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave he has arrived in Rome to have his say. Three Cardinals are chosen by lot for the task of collecting the votes of those who are sick and unable to be in the Sistine Chapel to vote. Puljić will vote from his sickbed in Santa Marta, the guesthouse which Pope Francis lived in. It's a hotel-like building constructed during the reign of Pope John Paul II to house cardinals during a conclave. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
