Michael Brooks
Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church, serving as advisors to the pope and holding important roles such as leading prominent archdioceses. They are chosen by the pope and hold their position for life. As of 15 June 2025, there were 251 cardinals worldwide, 132 of whom were eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. The College of Cardinals, which includes cardinals from 71 countries across all continents, has historically been limited in size by popes and ecumenical councils. The number of cardinals has varied over time, with approximately 2,900 cardinals from 1099 to 1986, and the current number of cardinals is significantly lower than the maximum of 120 allowed to take part in a conclave.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of cardinals in the world | 251 |
| Cardinal electors | 132 |
| Cardinal electors who are members of the religious life | 33 |
| Cardinal electors who represent institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life | 27 |
| Number of Eastern Catholic cardinals | 8 |
| Number of Eastern Catholic cardinal electors | 5 |
| Number of countries with cardinals | 94 |
| Number of countries with elector cardinals | 71 |
| Number of voting cardinals | 135 |
| Number of U.S. cardinals | 11 |
| Number of U.S. cardinals who will be voting at the conclave | 10 |
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What You'll Learn
There are 251 cardinals in the world as of 15 June 2025
As of 15 June 2025, there are 251 cardinals in the world, 132 of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. The College of Cardinals, or Sacred College of Cardinals, is the collective term for all cardinals of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church and serve as advisors to the pope. They are typically ordained bishops and usually hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia.
Cardinals are chosen by the pope and formally created in a consistory, and they serve for life. However, they become ineligible to participate in a papal conclave if they turn 80 before a papal vacancy occurs. The pope may also create cardinals in pectore, without revealing their identities; these cardinals are not entitled to the privileges of a cardinal until their names are published.
The College of Cardinals has played a significant role in the Catholic Church since the Early Middle Ages. The three classes of the college are cardinal bishops, cardinal priests, and cardinal deacons. The cardinal bishops, who are the highest order, elect the dean and vice-dean of the College of Cardinals, who serve as president and vice-president, respectively. The cardinal priests are bishops typically in charge of dioceses around the world, while the cardinal deacons are the first class to form.
Cardinals belong to either the Latin Church, which encompasses the vast majority of Catholics, or one of the autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches. Italy has the highest number of Catholic Cardinals, with 28, followed by the United States with 11. Becoming a Catholic Cardinal is challenging, as there are very few openings available.
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132 of these cardinals are eligible to vote in a conclave
As of the 15th of June 2025, there are 251 cardinals in the Catholic Church, 132 of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave. A conclave is a formal, secret gathering of cardinals that occurs after the death of a pope, during which a new pope is elected. The College of Cardinals, which includes all cardinals of the Catholic Church, is responsible for electing the pope. The pope is the bishop of Rome and can come from any country, although Italy, the location of the Vatican, has the highest number of cardinals.
Cardinals are senior members of the clergy of the Catholic Church and serve as advisors to the pope. They are typically ordained bishops and are chosen by the pope, serving for life. However, they become ineligible to participate in a papal conclave if they turn 80 before a papal vacancy occurs. This rule was established by Pope Paul VI in 1970 and modified by Pope John Paul II in 1996 to prevent the manipulation of conclave dates based on cardinal ages. The rule limits the number of cardinal electors and ensures that only cardinals who have not passed their 80th birthdays on the day the Holy See becomes vacant can participate in the conclave.
The process of electing a new pope is one of the most secretive and ancient events within the Catholic Church. The cardinals must take an oath of secrecy, declaring their awareness of the possibility of excommunication if they reveal any information about the conclave. The first vote typically takes place in the Sistine Chapel after the initial mass, and if necessary, additional ballots are held twice daily until a new pope is chosen.
The role of a cardinal is highly significant within the Catholic Church. They are responsible for ensuring that all bishops and priests act in accordance with the Holy Bible and addressing specific issues within the Church. Cardinals are also involved in various reforms and have played an integral role in the Church's history, such as through their diplomatic missions and representation in papal elections since the 12th century.
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Cardinals are senior members of the Catholic Church's clergy
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. The word "cardinal" is derived from the Latin "cardō", meaning "hinge". The office of cardinal as it is known today evolved during the first millennium from the clergy of Rome. The three classes of the college—cardinal bishops, cardinal priests, and cardinal deacons—began to take form during the pontificate of Pope Stephen V (816-817).
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. The two most senior cardinal bishops, who are elected by the cardinal bishops (excluding the Eastern Catholic patriarchs) from among themselves with papal approval, are the dean and the vice dean. The dean is first in precedence, followed by the vice dean and then, in order of appointment as cardinal bishops, by the remainder. Cardinal priests are the most numerous of the three orders of cardinals in the Catholic Church, ranking above cardinal deacons and below cardinal bishops. They are 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.
Cardinals have no power of governance and are not to intervene in matters pertaining to the administration of goods, discipline, or the service of their titular churches. They are allowed to celebrate Mass and hear confessions and lead visits and pilgrimages to their titular churches, in coordination with the church staff. They often support their churches financially and keep in contact with the pastoral staffs of their titular churches.
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They are appointed by the pope and serve for life
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 typically ordained bishops and generally hold important roles within the church, such as leading prominent archdioceses or heading dicasteries within the Roman Curia.
The pope has the power to appoint cardinals. While there are approximately 5,000 bishops in the world, only about 200 of them will ever become Catholic Cardinals. This is because there are very few Catholic Cardinals, and many of them live long lives. Therefore, a bishop usually has to wait for a current Cardinal to pass away before they can be appointed a Catholic Cardinal themselves. Alternatively, the pope can increase the number of Cardinals.
Cardinals are appointed 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. Canon law requires them to be generally consecrated as bishops before they are made cardinals, but some are granted a papal dispensation.
Appointments for men in Tonga, Myanmar, and Santiago de Cabo Verde confirm the pope’s interest in building a genuinely global church where ecclesiastical power is not concentrated so mightily in Europe. Pope Francis has also demonstrated his preference for the peripheries and places not previously represented in the College of Cardinals. Several are the first named cardinals from their countries.
Cardinals serve for life, but they become ineligible to participate in a papal conclave if they turn 80 before a papal vacancy occurs.
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Italy has the highest number of Catholic cardinals
As of 15 June 2025, there are 251 cardinals in the Catholic Church, 132 of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, cardinals serve for life, but they become ineligible to participate in a papal conclave if they turn 80 before a papal vacancy occurs.
The word "cardinal" comes from the Latin "cardō", meaning "hinge". The office of cardinal as we know it today slowly evolved during the first millennium from the clergy of Rome. In the 12th century, the Third Council of the Lateran declared that only cardinals could assume the papacy, a requirement that has since lapsed.
Being a cardinal was originally linked to being a geographically Roman priest, and most geographically Roman priests are Italian. Over time, this has changed, and cardinals are now less likely to be European. Under Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals has become less European, with cardinals appointed by Francis making up 80% of the 135 voting members.
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Frequently asked questions
There are approximately 200 Catholic cardinals in the world.
There is only one way to become a Catholic cardinal: one must be appointed by the pope.
Several countries have Catholic cardinals, with Italy having the highest number at 28. The United States is second with 11 cardinals, followed by Spain, Germany, India, and Brazil, each with 5. France and Poland also have a notable number, with 4 cardinals each.
