Sarah Mitchell
Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church and act as advisors to the pope. They are typically ordained bishops and are chosen by the pope himself. As of 15 June 2025, there are 251 cardinals worldwide, 132 of whom are eligible to participate in a papal conclave. The United States is the home country for 10 of these 132 cardinals, making it the second-highest cardinal-producing nation after Italy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Cardinals in America | 10 |
| Number of American Cardinals who will vote for the next Pope | 10 |
| Names of American Cardinals | Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, Timothy Dolan, Daniel DiNardo, Raymond Burke, Kevin Farrell, Wilton Gregory, James Michael Harvey, Robert McElroy, Robert Francis Prevost |
| Names of American Cardinals who will vote for the next Pope | Blase Cupich, Joseph Tobin, Timothy Dolan, Daniel DiNardo, Wilton Gregory, Robert McElroy, Robert Francis Prevost |
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What You'll Learn
Who are the US cardinals?
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope and serve as his advisors. They are typically ordained bishops and generally hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia. One of their foremost duties is the election of a new pope.
There are 10 US cardinals, making the United States the second-highest contributor of cardinals in the world, after Italy. These are the US cardinals:
- Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago
- Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York
- Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington
- Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life
- Cardinal James M. Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls
- Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, Patron of the Order of Malta
- Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston
- Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington
- Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey
- Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles
There are seven other US cardinals who are over 80 years old and therefore not eligible to participate in the election of the next pope:
- Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore
- Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, Archbishop Emeritus of Boston
- Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia
- Cardinal James F. Stafford, Major Penitentiary Emeritus
- Cardinal Adam J. Maida, Archbishop Emeritus of Detroit
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl
- Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles
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How are cardinals chosen?
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope and formally created in a consistory. They are appointed for life and are always available to the pope, serving as his close advisors and collaborators.
The pope may make changes to the College of Cardinals, which is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church, because he believes that there are too many cardinals in one country when compared to another, or he may wish to recognize the work of a particular cleric or theologian. For example, Pope Francis has been known to shake up traditions surrounding who becomes a cardinal, appointing men in Tonga, Myanmar, and Santiago de Cabo Verde, to build a genuinely global church.
To be eligible for appointment to the College of Cardinals, a man must be a priest. An appointee who is not a bishop must be consecrated a bishop, but the pope can make exceptions, as John Paul II did for Jesuit theologian Avery Dulles in 2001. 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 chosen from a variety of backgrounds, being appointed as cardinals in addition to their existing roles within the Church. Most cardinals are bishops and archbishops leading dioceses and archdioceses around the world – often the most prominent diocese or archdiocese in their country. Others are titular bishops who are current or former officials within the Roman Curia, generally the heads of dicasteries and other bodies linked to the Curia. A very small number are priests recognised by the pope for their service to the Church.
Cardinals are ranked in three orders: cardinal bishops, cardinal priests, and cardinal deacons. Cardinal bishops are chosen by the pope to be titular bishops of the seven suburbicarian dioceses in the vicinity of Rome, plus a few additional cardinals who have been exceptionally "co-opted" as cardinal bishops, as well as patriarchs who lead one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Cardinal priests are generally bishops of important dioceses throughout the world, though some hold Curial positions. Cardinal deacons are the lowest-ranking cardinals, chosen mainly for the honour of it, as those over 80 are not able to vote in a conclave.
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What is the role of a cardinal?
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope, who is the bishop of Rome, and they serve as his advisors. They 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 often responsible for ensuring that all bishops and priests act in accordance with the Holy Bible and may be tasked with addressing specific issues within the Catholic Church, instituting changes, and resolving disagreements. They also have the solemn responsibility of electing a new pope when the Holy See is vacant, although this is not a strict requirement. During the period between a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy See falls to the College of Cardinals, which is collectively constituted by the cardinals.
Cardinals can rise through the ranks from cardinal deacon to priest, and from cardinal priest to cardinal bishop. Cardinal bishops are the senior order of cardinals, and in modern times, most cardinals are also bishops or archbishops. Each cardinal is assigned a titular church in the city of Rome, and they often support these churches financially and maintain contact with the pastoral staffs.
In addition to their ecclesiastical duties, cardinals work in the Roman Curia, participating in the Petrine Office of the Roman pontiff. This cooperation with the pope helps guarantee Catholic unity, both in faith and discipline, in communion with Christ. Curial positions held by cardinals can vary and may include leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries.
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How many cardinals are there in total?
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope and serve as his advisors. They are typically ordained bishops and generally hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia.
As of 15 June 2025, there are 251 cardinals in total, 132 of whom are cardinal electors. The United States is the home country for 10 of these cardinal electors, making it the second-highest country after Italy, which has 17 cardinal electors. These 10 US cardinals include Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Cardinal Raymond Burke, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, and Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
Cardinals are classified under the country in which their respective dioceses are located, although they may be citizens of another country. They belong to either the Latin Church or one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which have their own distinctive liturgical, legal, and organizational systems. Cardinals are responsible for ensuring that all Bishops and Priests act in accordance with the Holy Bible and may be tasked with addressing specific issues within the Catholic Church.
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What are the different types of cardinal?
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church, chosen by the pope to be his close advisors and collaborators. They are typically ordained bishops and generally hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia.
There are three ranks of cardinals: cardinal bishops, cardinal priests, and cardinal deacons.
Cardinal Bishops
Cardinal Bishops are the senior order of cardinals. They are chosen by the pope to be titular bishops of the seven suburbicarian dioceses in the vicinity of Rome, plus a few additional cardinals who have been exceptionally "co-opted" as cardinal bishops, as well as patriarchs who lead one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. There are six cardinal bishops at a time, plus any additional Eastern Patriarchs.
Cardinal Priests
Cardinal Priests are the middle rank of the College of Cardinals and are by far the most numerous. They include officials of the Roman Curia, as well as bishops typically in charge of dioceses around the world, and former cardinal deacons who have been elevated to this rank.
Cardinal Deacons
Cardinal Deacons are the lowest rank of cardinals. They are generally in the last phase of their training for priesthood and maintain this role for twelve months. They can practice in many similar ways to priests, including baptising, witnessing marriages, and performing funerals.
Cardinals are drawn from a variety of backgrounds and are appointed as cardinals in addition to their existing roles within the Church. Most cardinals are bishops and archbishops leading dioceses and archdioceses around the world, often the most prominent diocese or archdiocese in their country.
As of 15 June 2025, there were 251 cardinals, 132 of whom were cardinal electors.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 10 Catholic cardinals in America.
The 10 Catholic cardinals in America are:
- Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago
- Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark
- Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York
- Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington
- Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston
- Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington
- Cardinal James Michael Harvey
- Cardinal Raymond Burke
- Cardinal Kevin Farrell
- Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church. They are chosen by the pope and serve as his advisors. They are typically ordained bishops and hold important roles within the church.
Cardinals have a number of roles and responsibilities within the Catholic Church. They are responsible for ensuring that all bishops and priests are acting in accordance with the Holy Bible. They also address specific issues within the church, instituting changes and resolving disagreements. One of their most important duties is the election of a new pope, who is invariably chosen from among their numbers.
