Latest news with #PhilippeOuédraogo
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.
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Cardinal could be dropped from the conclave because he doesn't know his age
An African cardinal could be dropped from the conclave because he doesn't know his age. It is unclear how old Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo was born on January 4 1945 or December 31 that year. The first would make him 80-year-old whilst the latter would make him 79. The reason this is important is that cardinals who are over the age of 80 are not allowed to vote for the next Pope which will start on Wednesday. If the cardinal took part in the conclave and it later turned out that he was too old to participate, it could render the result void. Cardinal Ouédraogo is regarded as a conservative, which means he could be important for the traditionalist factions looking to roll back Pope Francis's stances on issues such as blessing same-sex unions. In last year's Vatican yearbook, the cardinal's date of birth is listed as January 24 1945, meaning that he is now over 80. But in the latest official Vatican directory, his date of birth is listed as December 31, 1945, the Telegraph reports. That adjustment would make him 79 years old—just within the age limit to participate in a papal conclave. The change has raised eyebrows. An Italian newspaper quipped that the cardinal had 'found the secret to stopping time,' while another ran the headline: 'The strange case of the cardinal who has become a year younger so that he can enter the conclave.' The cardinal, who hails from a rural part of Burkina Faso, has offered a simple explanation. 'In my village, there were neither hospitals nor schools. I was born at home and was not given a birthdate,' he said recently, addressing the confusion over his age. This comes after a leading conservative cardinal issued a stark warning against powerful 'ideological lobbies' including the so-called 'gay lobby' ahead of the vote to choose a new Pope. German cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a fierce critic of the late Pope Francis, urged the Church to return to its traditional roots and demanded the next pontiff be 'strong on doctrine' and ready to resist mounting liberal pressures. Speaking to Italy's La Stampa newspaper, Cardinal Müller insisted the new Pope must have 'solid theological and doctrinal formation' and stand firm against what he described as the creeping threat of 'heresy' and 'gender ideology'. 'Doctrine is not the property of the Pope, the bishops, or the faithful,' he declared. 'It must conform to the word of Jesus. No one can modify it. If Jesus says marriage is between a man and a woman, no one can change that doctrine.' The outspoken cardinal also blasted calls to equate marriage with same-sex unions, saying it 'totally contradicts the doctrine of the Bible'. His fiery intervention came as cardinals from around the world gathered behind closed doors in Rome to set the date for the all-important conclave, which will now begin on May 7.
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
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
African cardinal could be dropped from conclave for not knowing his age
An African cardinal could be dropped from the conclave to elect a new pope because it is not clear when he was born. There is confusion over whether Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo was born on Jan 24 1945, which would make him 80 years old, or on Dec 31 of that year, which would make him 79. The difference is crucial because only cardinals who are aged under 80 are allowed to vote in the secretive meeting, which will start on Wednesday. If the cardinal took part in the conclave and it was later discovered that he was too old to participate, it could render the result void. Regarded as a conservative, the cardinal's vote could be important for traditionalist factions that want to roll back Pope Francis's more inclusive stance on issues such as blessing single sex unions and showing tolerance of gay people within the Catholic Church. In last year's Vatican yearbook, the cardinal's date of birth is listed as Jan 24 1945, meaning that he is now over 80. On that day, the Catholic cathedral in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, reportedly wrote him a birthday message on its Facebook page. But in this year's edition, it is registered as Dec 31 1945, which would mean that he is only 79 and eligible to take part in the conclave. The cardinal, from Burkina Faso, has 'found the secret to stopping time', one Italian newspaper joked. Another ran the headline: 'The strange case of the cardinal who has become a year younger so that he can enter the conclave.' The cardinal says the confusion over his date of birth is because of the circumstances of his upbringing. 'In my village, there were neither hospitals nor schools. I was born at home and was not given a birthdate,' he said recently, when asked about the discrepancy. He said that Jan 25 was chosen at random, for bureaucratic reasons, when he entered his seminary – a training institution for priests. He added that Burkina Faso's national registry office later assigned him the date of Dec 31, a common practice for people in the West African country whose exact birthdates are not known. It is not clear why one date was registered in last year's pontifical almanac and another in this year's edition. Appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis, Cardinal Ouédraogo has won plaudits for promoting interreligious dialogue with Muslims in Burkina Faso, a former French colony that was known as Upper Volta. The new name was adopted in 1984 and means 'land of incorruptible people'. More than half the country's population are Muslim, while around one-fifth are Catholic. The rest are Protestant or followers of traditional beliefs. It was originally envisaged that 135 cardinals would be led into the Sistine Chapel for the conclave. But the number has been reduced to 133 after John Njue, a cardinal from Kenya, and Antonio Canizares Llovera, a Spanish cardinal and the archbishop emeritus of Valencia, dropped out, citing health problems.
