Ethan Walker
Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church's clergy, serving as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the worldwide Catholic Church's visible head. They are chosen and formally appointed by the pope and usually hold the position for life. They are in charge of important church roles, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia. When the pope passes away or resigns, the College of Cardinals takes over the Catholic Church's governance. Cardinals from the Eastern Catholic Churches are a small minority among the cardinals, with only eight Eastern Catholic cardinals, including five cardinal electors, belonging to seven distinct churches as of 2025. Although it is uncommon, it is possible for an Eastern Catholic cardinal to be elected pope.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can Eastern Catholic cardinals be Pope? | Yes, any Catholic male may technically be elected Pope. |
| Cardinals who can vote in a conclave | Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave. They are known as cardinal electors. |
| Number of Eastern Catholic cardinals | There are eight Eastern Catholic cardinals, including five cardinal electors. |
| Cardinal Bishops who are Eastern Catholic Patriarchs | Cardinal Bishops are chosen by the pope to be titular bishops of the suburbicarian dioceses in the vicinity of Rome. Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches who are named cardinals are also cardinal bishops. |
| Cardinal Bishops | Six cardinals who are chosen by the pope to be titular bishops of the seven suburbicarian dioceses in the vicinity of Rome. |
| Cardinal Priests | Bishops typically in charge of dioceses around the world, as well as former cardinal deacons who have opted to be elevated to become cardinal priests. |
| Cardinal Deacons | The lowest-ranking cardinals. Cardinals elevated to the diaconal order are either officials of the Roman Curia or priests elevated after their 80th birthday. |
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What You'll Learn
Eastern Catholic cardinals are eligible to become pope
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church and are chosen by the pope. They are his advisors and hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia. When a pope dies or resigns, the governance of the Catholic Church passes to the College of Cardinals, and it is the cardinals' duty to elect a new pope.
Cardinals are chosen and formally created by the pope, and they typically hold the title for life. They constitute the College of Cardinals, and their most solemn responsibility is to elect a new pope in a conclave, almost always from among themselves. The right to participate in a conclave is limited to cardinals who have not reached the age of 80 by the day the vacancy occurs. Cardinals are chosen to be bishops of the dioceses in the vicinity of Rome and are personally chosen by the pope, recognisable by their distinctive red vestments.
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Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church's clergy
The ecclesiastical rank of Cardinal dates back to the time of Pope Sylvester I, around 315 AD. The name was given to the senior priest in each of the "title" churches (the parish churches) of Rome and to the bishops of the seven sees surrounding the city. By the 8th century, Roman cardinals constituted a privileged class among the Roman clergy, and they participated in the administration of the Church of Rome and in the papal liturgy.
Over time, the term "cardinal" came to be reserved for those whom the Pope had given pastoral responsibility for the seven suburban dioceses of the Roman Province, as well as the Roman churches and deaconries. Today, Cardinals each possess only a titular office as a bishop, priest, or deacon of Rome, without actual responsibility for the dioceses, parishes, and deaconries.
The College of Cardinals is internally divided into three orders or ranks: Cardinal Bishops, Cardinal Priests, and Cardinal Deacons. Cardinal Priests are the most numerous of the three orders, ranking above Cardinal Deacons and below Cardinal Bishops. Cardinal Bishops are chosen by the Pope to be titular bishops of the seven suburbicarian dioceses in the vicinity of Rome, with a few additional cardinals who are patriarchs leading one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Cardinal Priests are generally bishops of important dioceses throughout the world, though some hold Curial positions. Cardinal Deacons hold the lowest rank of the three and include officials of the Roman Curia and theologians honored by the Pope.
While most cardinals belong to the Latin Church, a small number belong to one of the twenty-three autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches. At present, there are eight Eastern Catholic cardinals, including five cardinal electors.
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Cardinals are chosen by the pope and hold the title for life
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope and hold the title for life. They are bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world, recognisable by their distinctive red vestments. Cardinals are typically ordained bishops and generally hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia.
Cardinals are the pope's advisors, and one of their foremost duties is the election of a new pope. When a pope dies or resigns, the governance of the Catholic Church passes to the College of Cardinals. Cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican called general congregations, where they discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church globally. They also prepare for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave. Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave. They are known as cardinal electors.
The process of electing a new pope involves the cardinal electors taking an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors of the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals vote by secret ballot, processing one by one up to Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer, and dropping their ballot in a large chalice. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the votes. The ballots are then burned, and the colour of the smoke indicates whether a pope has been chosen or not. Black smoke means no decision has been made, while white smoke means a new pope has been elected.
It is worth noting that there are Eastern Catholic cardinals, who are patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches. These cardinals are also chosen by the pope and hold the title for life, just like their Latin Church counterparts.
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The pope is the bishop of Rome
When a Pope dies or resigns, the governance of the Catholic Church passes to the College of Cardinals. Cardinals hold a series of meetings at the Vatican, called general congregations, to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church globally, and to prepare for the upcoming papal election, or conclave. Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave and the election is conducted by secret ballot. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.
While the Pope is the Bishop of Rome, he is also first and foremost the bishop of the Latin-rite diocese of Rome. The diocese of Rome is a Latin diocese and not a Byzantine eparchy. This means that an Eastern Catholic could become Pope, but they would have to "change" to Latin Catholicism. While it is possible, it is rare, and there is only one current cardinal elector who is an Eastern-rite Catholic.
Eastern Catholic cardinals continue to wear the normal dress appropriate to their liturgical tradition. However, some may line their cassocks with scarlet and wear scarlet fascias, or in some cases, wear Eastern-style cassocks entirely of scarlet.
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Cardinals elect a new pope in a conclave
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope and are his advisors. One of their foremost duties is the election of a new pope when the Holy See is vacant, following the death or resignation of a pope. This election is called a "conclave", derived from the Latin word for a "room that can be locked up".
The College of Cardinals gathers in Vatican City to elect a new pope. Before the conclave, the cardinals hold a series of meetings called general congregations to discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church globally and prepare for the upcoming papal election.
The conclave takes place in the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals vote by secret ballot. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave, and they are known as cardinal electors. The cardinal electors take an oath of absolute secrecy before sealing the doors of the chapel. Each cardinal elector writes the name of their chosen candidate on a rectangular ballot, folds it, holds it aloft, and carries it to the altar to drop it into a large chalice. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives a two-thirds of the vote. The ballots are counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. If no candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority after three days of voting, the cardinals suspend voting for up to one day for prayer, informal discussions, and a brief spiritual exhortation by a key cardinal.
Once a pope is elected, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals to produce white smoke, signalling to the world the election of a new pope. The senior cardinal deacon announces "Habemus Papam" ("We have a pope") from the balcony before the new pope imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the world.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, an Eastern Catholic cardinal can be elected Pope, although this is unlikely as the Pope is the Bishop of Rome and must therefore “change” to Latin Catholicism.
Any Catholic male can technically be elected Pope, but the position is usually given to a Cardinal elector.
Cardinal electors are cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote in a conclave.
A conclave is a series of meetings held by the College of Cardinals to elect a new pope.
