06 March 2022

Cardinal Stats and Charts, 2022

This posts assumes that there are no deaths among the current Cardinals.

As of today (6 Mar 2022, there are be 212 Living Cardinals with 119 eligible to vote in a conclave when that should become necessary.

The average age of the Cardinals is 79.0 and the average of the electors is 73.0 years old.

The average length of service as a Cardinal is 12.1 years, 8.8 years if only considering electors.

The youngest Cardinal is Dieudonné Nzapalainga, C.S.Sp. (Archbishop of Bangui) who is about to turn 55 (on 14 Mar).

The oldest Cardinal is Jozef Tomko (President Emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses) who is about to turn 98 (on 11 Mar).

I've posted an updated version of the Cardinal Charts (warning: PDF format).

The charts are:
  • Number of Cardinals (1585-2032; 1915-2032; and 1965-2032)
  • Average Age (1585-2032; 1915-2032; and 1965-2032)

Cardinals Turning 80

WhenCardinal Electors
Now119
End of 2022110
End of 202399
End of 202486
End of 202574
(the table assumes no deaths nor new Cardinal Electors)




Cardinal-Electors as Percent of the College

With the introduction of the age limit for Cardinals to vote in a conclave, the percent of Cardinals eligible to vote had been trending downward. However, it has rebounded a bit in the recent times with the deaths of a number of the elderly Cardinals and a significant number of new creations.

Today, 56.1% are Electors. At the lowest point, it was 51.7% (before the November 2016 Consistory).

Assuming no Cardinal deaths and no new creations, on 3 Jun 2023, Cardinal-Electors will be 50% (106 of 212). The following month it will fall below 50% for the first time ever (105 of 212).

Given that deaths of non-Electors are more likely, the dates will likely be later than those given above.

New Cardinals?

Pope Francis has created new Cardinals every year of his papacy except the first (2013) and last year (2021). I strongly suspect there will be a consistory to create cardinals around 28 Jun 2022 (or perhaps later in the Fall).

1 comment:

Pico Catoute said...

Magnifica y curiosa información para los que seguimos la Institución de la Iglesia católica.Las previsiones que se hacen son irremediablemente especulativas pero totalmente lógicas y probables.