Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas lived to 116. / Credit: Nathália Queiroz/ACI Digital

Sao Paulo, Brazil, May 1, 2025 / 16:00 pm (CNA).

Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, the oldest person in the world, died Wednesday in Porto Alegre, Brazil, at the age of 116.

Born on May 27, 1908, the Teresian nun was the oldest person in the world, according to LongeviQuest, a group of researchers that studies centenarians.

She lived in Porto Alegre, in the Santo Enrique de Ossó Shelter, located next to the provincial house of the Teresian Sisters of Brazil, a community she joined in 1927 at age 19.

In a March 2024 interview with ACI Digital, CNA’s Portuguese-language news partner, she mentioned that one of the secrets to her longevity was praying every day for all the people of the world.

Originally from São Francisco de Assis in Rio Grande do Sul state, Inah was the great-niece of Gen. David Canabarro, one of the main leaders of the Farroupilha Revolution (1835–1845) that took place in the same state. She studied at a convent school and at age 19 entered the novitiate with the Teresian Sisters in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Over the course of more than a century, she experienced numerous changes in the world and in the Church. The nun lived through two world wars and 10 popes. The year she was born, St. Pius X was pope.

As a teaching sister, Inah taught Portuguese, mathematics, science, history, art, and religion in Teresian schools in Rio de Janeiro, Itaqui, and Santana do Livramento, a city where she is much loved because it was where she spent most of her life.

A notable achievement in her life was the creation of the Santa Teresa School marching band in Santana do Livramento. The band featured 115 musical instruments and performed in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. She also collaborated in the creation of the renowned Pomoli High School marching band in Rivera, Uruguay, sister city of Santana do Livramento.

Sister Inah was an enthusiastic fan of Sport Clube Internacional soccer team, founded in 1909 when she was just 1 year old.

With her death, the world’s oldest person, according to LongeviQuest, becomes Englishwoman Ethel Caterham, who is 115 years old, born on Aug. 21, 1909.

This story was first published by ACI Digital, CNA’s Portuguese-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by ACI Prensa/CNA.

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on May 1, 2020, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis, who died last month, was well known for his devotion to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. 

The late pope announced a Year of St. Joseph in December 2020 in honor of the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as patron of the universal Church. In making the announcement, Francis issued an apostolic letter, Patris Corde (“With a father’s heart”), dedicated to the foster father of Jesus. 

On today’s feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1), here are some of the most beautiful and powerful quotes from Francis’ document of personal reflections on St. Joseph.

Praise for the ordinary ‘hidden’ but vital people

“Each of us can discover in Joseph — the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet, and hidden presence — an intercessor, a support, and a guide in times of trouble. St. Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.”

“Our lives are woven together and sustained by ordinary people, people often overlooked. People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines or on the latest television show, yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history. They understood that no one is saved alone.”

An invitation to courage

“Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history, and his plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties, and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.”

“Just as God told Joseph: ‘Son of David, do not be afraid!’ (Mt 1:20), so he seems to tell us: ‘Do not be afraid!’ We need to set aside all anger and disappointment, and to embrace the way things are, even when they do not turn out as we wish. Not with mere resignation but with hope and courage. In this way, we become open to a deeper meaning. Our lives can be miraculously reborn if we find the courage to live them in accordance with the Gospel.”

God is greater than our hearts

“God can make flowers spring up from stony ground. Even if our heart condemns us, ‘God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything’ (1 Jn 3:20).”

God works in our weakness

“All too often, we think that God works only through our better parts, yet most of his plans are realized in and despite our frailty.”

The gift of one’s self

“Joseph found happiness not in mere self-sacrifice but in self-gift. In him, we never see frustration but only trust. His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust.”

Earthly fatherhood points higher

“In every exercise of our fatherhood, we should always keep in mind that it has nothing to do with possession but is rather a ‘sign’ pointing to a greater fatherhood. In a way, we are all like Joseph: a shadow of the heavenly Father who ‘makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust’ (Mt 5:45).”

Introducing children ‘to reality’

“Being a father entails introducing children to life and reality. Not holding them back, being overprotective or possessive, but rather making them capable of deciding for themselves, enjoying freedom and exploring new possibilities.”

“When fathers refuse to live the lives of their children for them, new and unexpected vistas open up. Every child is the bearer of a unique mystery that can only be brought to light with the help of a father who respects that child’s freedom.”

A prayer to St. Joseph

“Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome. My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.”

null / Credit: Postmodern Studio/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

Sen. Hawley urges FDA to reinstate abortion drug safety regulations

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley issued a letter on Monday urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reinstate safety regulations for chemical abortion drugs. 

Citing a newly published study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Hawley urged the FDA to act, saying the “health and safety of American women depend on it.” 

The study, released this week, found that more than 1 in 10 women who use mifepristone experience adverse side effects including sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or an emergency room visit. 

Published on April 28, the study is the “largest known study of mifepristone to date,” according to Hawley. The study found that the rate of negative side effects is “at least 22 times greater” than the adverse effects rate on the drug label, which is approved by the FDA. 

In the letter, Hawley noted that Democratic administrations “have stripped away basic safeguards” surrounding the drug. The Obama administration reduced required in-person visits, removed the physicians prescription requirement, and ended mandatory reporting of adverse effects. 

The Biden administration, meanwhile, ended requirements for in-person visits and dispensing, meaning that mifepristone can be sent via mail without any medical supervision. 

Hawley urged the FDA to “reinstate safety regulations on the chemical abortion drug immediately.”

Catholic leaders fight assisted suicide as bill progresses in New York state

Catholic leaders in New York are speaking out as an assisted suicide bill, the “Medical Aid in Dying Act,” progresses through the state Legislature this week. 

The assisted suicide bill passed the state Assembly on Tuesday. It was the first time such a bill has made it to the floor of either chamber since 2016. 

The bill allows anyone 18 or older to request drugs for assisted suicide if they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less and if they retain “decision-making capacity.”

Proponents maintain that there are safeguards against coercion and that the deadly drugs are self-administered.

Robert Bellafiore, a spokesperson for the New York State Catholic Conference, called the bill “state-sanctioned suicide” in a statement this week. 

Bellafiore described the measure a “Pandora’s box” that “cannot be controlled,” saying that it works against the governor’s suicide prevention efforts. He also criticized the bill for putting people with mental health issues at risk, arguing that the safeguards are “made of straw.” 

“It tells young people, who everyone knows are in the midst of an unprecedented mental health crisis, that life is disposable and that it’s OK to end your life if you see no hope,” Bellafiore said.

Bellafiore called on the state to instead “strengthen palliative care, improve health care services and counseling for people in crisis, and show America what real compassion looks like.”

Local Catholic and pro-life organizations are banding together to oppose the measure. 

The bishops of New York wrote a letter last week urging the Legislature to reconsider the policy. The prelates cited concern for the vulnerable, who could be pressured into assisted suicide, as well as concerns about the quick expansion of assisted suicide in Canada.

On May 6, Feminists Choosing Life of New York and the New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide will lobby against the legislation. The Diocese of Rochester partnered with the pro-life feminist group as well as the Finger Lakes Guild of the Catholic Medical Association to host a webinar on Thursday on physician-assisted suicide. 

Parental notification laws challenged in Missouri, Nevada

A pro-abortion group is suing Missouri over its law requiring parental consent for minors to have abortions. 

The Missouri state law requires a minor to receive parental consent from at least one parent to obtain an abortion. Minors may seek an exception in court. 

A pro-abortion nonprofit, Right By You, filed the lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court, alleging the notification laws “bully pregnant young people without parental support into giving birth.”

The lawsuit follows the passage of Missouri’s abortion rights amendment last fall. 

The advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said on Thursday that the lawsuit could “enable abusers and traffickers to exploit minors.”

“They’re suing so girls who aren’t old enough to get their ears pierced on their own can have an abortion without their parents,” said group spokeswoman Kelsey Pritchard.

A judge in Nevada, meanwhile, has blocked the state’s rule requiring parental notification for minors seeking abortion, a policy that was set to take effect this week. 

The 1985 law requiring one parent to be notified if a minor sought an abortion has never been enforced after it was found unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. 

After Roe was overturned, the law was scheduled to be enforced this month. But Planned Parenthood of Nevada challenged the law, calling it “unconstitutionally vague.”

U.S. District Court Judge Anne Traum granted Planned Parenthood’s request to pause the law’s implementation while it files a motion for stay.  

About 70% of U.S. states have some form of parental notification or permission laws for minors seeking abortion. 

Pilgrims at the Wednesday general audience Aug. 9, 2023, hold up an image of the Virgin Mary. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, May 1, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and spiritual mother of all.

In the plan of salvation, the Blessed Virgin Mary holds a special place. By virtue of her role to be the mother of the Son of God by divine election, she was conceived immaculately — i.e., without the stain of original sin — and by fidelity to her son has been crowned queen of heaven and earth. 

Everything Mary said and did leads to Christ. Who knows a child better than a mother? And what good and loving child does not know his or her mother and love her with all of his or her heart?

Mary knew and loved Jesus like no one else on earth — and she loves each of her children, human beings, with similar affection and tenderness.

The Church, in its wisdom, asks its children to be especially devoted to Mother Mary during the month of May and to be particularly grateful for all of her care.

A model for every Christian

Mary, the most humble of all women, is a model for everyone, today, in the here and now. She is a model in a particular way for every woman, as expressed by Pope Francis:

“There is only one model for you, Mary: the woman of fidelity, the one who did not understand what was happening to her but obeyed. The one who, as soon as she knew what her cousin needed took off [to help her], the Virgin of Promptness. The one who escaped as a refugee in a foreign country to save the life of her son,” Pope Francis said during an April 2014 message to 20,000 young people gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a regional youth day.

The first disciple

Years later, during an Aug. 24, 2021, catechesis, Pope Francis called Mary “the first disciple of Jesus” and reminded us that “Mary is there, praying for us, praying for those who do not pray. Why? Because she is our mother.”

The Virgin, through Jesus, has brought heaven closer to us and her life is the best proof that it is possible to reach it. Pope Francis said it best: “She shows us that heaven is within reach, if we too do not give in to sin, we praise God with humility, and we serve others with generosity” (Pope Francis, Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption, Aug. 15, 2022). 

A version of this story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

National Shrine and Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan, also known as Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, in Shanghai, China. / Credit: lobia, via Wikimedia Commons

Vatican City, May 1, 2025 / 14:00 pm (CNA).

As the Catholic Church continues through a period of interregnum between the reign of popes, Chinese authorities have made moves to assert the Church in China’s autonomy from Rome by unilaterally “electing” two bishops — including in a diocese already led by a Vatican-appointed bishop.

On April 28, Father Wu Jianlin, vicar general of Shanghai, was chosen to be the city’s new auxiliary bishop by an assembly of local priests. The following day, Father Li Jianlin was “elected” bishop of the Diocese of Xinxiang.

As of Thursday afternoon there have been no reports that either priest has been installed as a bishop. 

Both appointments come during a sede vacante — the period when the Apotolic See is vacant following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 — a time during which the Holy See is unable to ratify episcopal nominations. A conclave to elect the next pope is scheduled to begin May 7.

These appointments in China will present the new pope with an early diplomatic challenge.

The appointment in Xinxiang is particularly contentious. The Vatican already recognizes Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu as the legitimate bishop of the diocese. Appointed clandestinely by Pope John Paul II in 1991, Zhang has spent decades ministering without state approval and has been arrested multiple times.

He was detained most recently in 2021 while recovering from cancer surgery and remains in custody without trial, according to a 2024 report by the Hudson Institute.

Father Li Jianlin, the diocese’s bishop-elect in the eyes of Beijing, has a history of alignment with the Communist Party. In 2018 he cosigned a directive enforcing a ban on minors attending Mass in Henan province. His appointment is viewed by observers as an overt challenge to Vatican authority, particularly given the presence of a sitting bishop already appointed by Rome.

The move underscores the fragile and often opaque relationship between the Vatican and Beijing. A 2018 provisional agreement between the two sides, renewed most recently in October 2024, is intended to regulate the appointment of bishops in China through a joint process.  

While the terms of the agreement have never been publicly disclosed, Asia News reported that even under the Vatican-China agreement, Beijing usually presented a single candidate to the Vatican chosen by assemblies of the clergy affiliated by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which the pope could then approve or not.  

In recent years, Vatican officials have acknowledged that Beijing has violated the agreement on multiple occasions. 

Bishop Shen Bin, installed by Chinese authorities in Shanghai in 2023 without Vatican approval, was later recognized by Pope Francis “for the good of the diocese” — a concession that sparked controversy. Wu’s appointment this week as Shen’s auxiliary appears to consolidate Shen’s power in Shanghai. 

The Vatican came under criticism during Francis’ pontificate for what some see as a muted response to China’s human rights abuses, including the internment of Uyghur Muslims and the imprisonment of Catholic pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong.  

Human rights groups have also documented ongoing persecution of underground Catholic clergy, with seven bishops currently detained without trial. 

On May 1, new restrictions from China’s United Front came into force banning foreign clergy from presiding over religious activities for Chinese people without the invitation of the Chinese government, severely limiting foreign missionary activity in the country. 

Meanwhile, state-sanctioned Catholic institutions in China offered little acknowledgement of Pope Francis’ death.  

The Patriotic Catholic Association mentioned it in passing on its website, while greater prominence was given to the 76th anniversary of the communist victory in Nanjing. On April 23, Catholics in Nanjing gathered to honor fallen People’s Liberation Army soldiers, with no mention of the late pontiff at the event, according to the blog Bitter Winter. 

As the conclave approaches, how the new pope navigates the challenging relationship with Beijing — and responds to episcopal appointments made without Rome — will likely define the next phase of Vatican diplomacy with China. 

null / Credit: lunamarina/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 1, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

The more often Catholics in the United States attend Mass, the more likely they are to oppose proposed changes to the Church, such as blessing same-sex marriages and allowing women to become priests, a new Pew Research Center study reveals.

Pew Research surveyed 1,787 Catholics nationwide from Feb. 3–9 and asked their views on a wide range of topics. Pew’s report specifically tracked and categorized the answers of Catholics who attend Mass at least weekly and those who don’t. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that participation in Mass “is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and his Church” (No. 2182) and that “on Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass“ (No. 2180). The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by attendance at Mass on Sundays or holy days, or on the evening of the preceding day.

According to the study, 53% of Catholics who attend weekly Mass said the Church should “stick to its traditional teachings” and limit change, while only 31% of those who attend less regularly affirmed the same position.

Between Catholics who attend Mass weekly and those who attend less regularly, the topic where the two groups differed the most was on the Church’s stance on recognizing gay marriages. 

Nearly two-thirds, or 66%, of Catholics who go to weekly Mass oppose Church recognition of gay marriages, while 58% of those who attend less frequently believe the Church should recognize same-sex marriages. 

Similarly, 56% of Catholics who go to weekly Mass oppose allowing women to become priests, while 67% of Catholics who attend less frequently are in favor of it. 

A majority of both weekly and non-weekly attendees, however, are in favor of women becoming deacons, with 54% of weekly attendees and 74% of non-weekly attendees supporting the proposal. 

According to the survey, Catholics who attend weekly Mass are sharply divided on the question of allowing priests to get married, with 49% in favor and 48% opposed. That is within the survey’s 3% margin of error. Non-weekly Mass-goers, meanwhile, clearly support such a change, with 69% in favor. 

Other issues surveyed showed less marked differences between the two groups. Large majorities of both weekly and non-weekly attendees believe the Catholic Church should allow the use of birth control (72% of weekly Mass-goers and 90% of less frequent participants). Seventy-one percent of weekly Mass attendees also believe the Church should allow couples to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to get pregnant, a position also supported by 88% of non-weekly Mass attendees.

Pope Francis meets director Martin Scorsese in the Vatican on Nov. 30, 2016. / Credit: L’Osservatore Romano

CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese is producing a feature-length documentary about Pope Francis and the educational movement the late pontiff founded.

“Aldeas, a New Story” will feature conversations between Scorsese and the pope, including what is reportedly Francis’ final in-depth on-camera interview for a film.

The documentary will highlight the work of Scholas Occurrentes, the nonprofit Pope Francis created in 2013 that aims to bring about what the pope called a “culture of encounter” through the education system. 

Part of the group’s work has included filmmaking under the Aldeas Initiative, which brings together film production with education and community building. The program encourages participants to make scripted short films highlighting their identities and histories. 

The documentary will show the short films of participants of the Aldeas Initiative from Italy, Gambia, and Indonesia. 

Aldeas Scholas Film and Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions announced the documentary on April 30. The two production companies said the film is “a testament to the enduring belief that creativity is not only a means of expression but a path to hope and transformation.”

“Now, more than ever, we need to talk to each other [and] listen to one another cross-culturally,” Scorsese said in a statement. “One of the best ways to accomplish this is by sharing the stories of who we are, reflected from our personal lives and experiences. It helps us understand and value how each of us sees the world.” 

“It was important to Pope Francis for people across the globe to exchange ideas with respect while also preserving their cultural identity, and cinema is the best medium to do that,” the filmmaker said.

Before his passing, Pope Francis said Aldeas “is an extremely poetic and very constructive project because it goes to the roots of what human life is, human sociability, human conflicts… the essence of a life’s journey.”

A release date for the film has not been announced. 

After Pope Francis’ passing, Scorsese called the Holy Father “a remarkable human being” in a statement shared with ABC News. 

“He acknowledged his own failings. He radiated wisdom. He radiated goodness. He had an ironclad commitment to the good. He knew in his soul that ignorance was a terrible plague on humanity. So he never stopped learning,” Scorsese said.

He added: “The loss for me runs deep — I was lucky enough to know him, and I will miss his presence and his warmth. The loss for the world is immense. But he left a light behind, and it can never be extinguished.”

Members of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) pledged to uphold the “theological and pastoral legacy” of the late Pope Francis, in a statement issued during their 39th annual conference and 40th anniversary commemoration. / Credit: CATHAN

ACI Africa, May 1, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Members of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) have pledged to uphold the “theological and pastoral legacy” of the late Pope Francis, who was laid to rest on April 26.

In a communiqué issued after their 39th annual conference, which also coincided with the association’s 40th anniversary, CATHAN members mourn the late 266th pontiff, giving thanks to God for the gift of his 12-year pontificate and his “courageous witness to the Gospel in our time.”

“We pledge to carry forward the theological and pastoral legacy of the late Holy Father with renewed zeal and fidelity,” CATHAN members say in the April 25 communiqué following their conference at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre in Nigeria’s Benin City Archdiocese.

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21. He was laid to rest on April 26 in his “beloved” Basilica of St. Mary Major as he explained in his testament. The late pontiff suffered a stroke that was followed by a coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse. He had been hospitalized recently with double pneumonia and a respiratory infection.

The April 26 celebration was a global farewell to a humble shepherd, who was at the helm of the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

In the communiqué shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, April 29, the Catholic theologians in Nigeria reaffirmed their fidelity to the Church and the successor of St. Peter “in this moment of solemn transition.”

During the April 22–25 annual conference under the theme “Theology and Contemporary Approaches to Religion in Nigeria,” CATHAN members said they reflected on the need to integrate African traditional religions (ATR) with Christianity as “potential sources of theological insight in houses of formation and tertiary institutions.”

“We propose inclusive curricula that engage the complexities of religious pluralism head-on, integrating ATR and Christianity not as antithetical systems but as potential wellsprings of theological insight,” Nigeria’s Catholic theologians say in their communiqué.

They continued: “Informed by the imperative for a more profound evangelization, we emphasize the urgent need to reimagine theological formation within the vibrant context of lived African religious experiences.”

CATHAN members explained that the “reimagined” theological formation will empower “future Church leaders, especially those serving in missionary and formative roles, to engage Nigerian religiosity with both critical acumen and profound respect.”

Such “reimagined theological formation,” they say, will go a long way in helping Church leaders to stay “steadfast in orthodox doctrine while achieving pastoral relevance within an increasingly pluralistic African society.”

“This approach fosters a deeper understanding of the spiritual landscape and empowers effective intercultural and interreligious dialogue,” CATHAN members said, referring to what they described as the “urgent need to reimagine theological formation within the vibrant context of lived African religious experiences.”

To foster meaningful intercultural and interreligious dialogue in Nigeria’s increasingly diverse and pluralistic society, the Catholic theologians said they will have input in the development of theological formation curricula for evangelization that “inclusively engage the complexities of religious pluralism.” 

“We call for holistic scholarship that transcends polemics or mere apologetics,” CATHAN members say in the four-page communiqué, going on to acknowledge that “responses to (ATR), Christianity, and Islam are often influenced by historical wounds, cultural memory, theological presumptions, and sociopolitical interests.”

For them, “this deeper study must be integral to theological formation, equipping leaders to discern the profound spiritual, ethical, and sociocultural currents shaping religious life in Nigeria today.”

Following the four-day annual conference, CATHAN members expressed their commitment to “fostering a theology of encounter that informs interreligious dialogue, community engagement, and the pursuit of peace and justice.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

Cardinals participate in the fifth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on April 30, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

CNA Newsroom, May 1, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.

Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:

Cardinals participate in the fifth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on April 30, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, May 1, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Members of the College of Cardinals have gathered in Rome in anticipation of the subsequent election of Pope Francis’ successor. 

There are currently 252 cardinals, 133 of whom are eligible and expected to vote in the conclave. They range in age from 45 to 99. 

Pope Francis chose 149 of the current members of the college, most of whom will help choose his successor as cardinal electors. Though cardinals over the age of 80 cannot vote in the conclave, they do participate in pre-conclave meetings, called general congregations, and can still have an influence over who is chosen. 

Here are some of the cardinals who will choose the next leader of the Catholic Church.

Vatican 

The cardinals serving in the Roman Curia have some of the most visibility and the most influence in the college, starting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state during Pope Francis’ pontificate. In that position, the Italian is among the highest-ranking members of the Roman Curia, the body that governs the Holy See together with the pope. Because the dean and vice dean of the College of Cardinals are both over 80, the 70-year-old Parolin will manage the conclave from inside the Sistine Chapel.

A relative newcomer to the college, 69-year-old Italian Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti has led the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches since late 2022, after over two decades in the diplomatic service of the Church as the pope’s representative in countries such as Ukraine, Great Britain, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. 

Before becoming prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and a cardinal in 2020, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, 77, was bishop of the Italian Diocese of Albano and secretary of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal advisers. As a bishop, Semeraro had several important roles in the Italian bishops’ conference.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, began his episcopal career as an auxiliary bishop of Rome. The 69-year-old Zuppi is close to the influential Sant’Egidio community and, as a priest, worked with the Catholic lay association to help broker peace in Mozambique. Pope Francis tapped the experienced mediator as his peace envoy in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2023. 

Pope Francis demonstrated an immense amount of trust in 77-year-old Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who in addition to being made prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life was tapped to lead both a committee on investments and commission on confidential materials created as part of Vatican financial reform efforts. In 2019, Francis also named Farrell to be camerlengo of the holy Roman Church, the position responsible for ascertaining the pope’s death, organizing the papal funeral, and for managing Vatican administration during the “sede vacante.” 

Cardinal Luis Tagle, from the Philippines, was heavily involved in the organization of the 2019 Synod on Young People. The 67-year-old cardinal is pro-prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization (formerly the Congregation for Evangelization) and previously led the Vatican-connected charitable network Caritas Internationalis. 

As secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops since 2020, 68-year-old Cardinal Mario Grech oversaw the planning and execution of Pope Francis’ multiyear Synod on Synodality. The Maltese cardinal was also a prominent voice following the 2014 and 2015 synods on the family and helped organize the 2019 Amazon synod. 

A prominent canonist and former rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Jesuit priest Gianfranco Ghirlanda was elevated to cardinal in 2022 at the age of 80. The following year, Pope Francis also appointed him patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Ghirlanda was a close adviser of popes and of Vatican offices on issues of canon law and assisted in the renewal of the religious congregation the Legion of Christ among others. At the age of 82, he is a non-elector. 

Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, is recognized around the world for his spiritual writing and orthodox position on Church teachings. Originally from Guinea, where he became the youngest bishop in the world in 1975, in Rome the 79-year-old is considered an influential voice on the faith following his years as head of the pontifical council Cor Unum, and then prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He retired in 2021. 

Highly regarded in and outside the Vatican, Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76, is chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. From Ghana, his first role in the Vatican was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 2009 to 2017. Pope Francis then chose him as inaugural prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development from 2017 to 2021.

North America 

North America, comprising Canada and the United States, has 36 living cardinals, 20 of whom are eligible to vote in the conclave. One of the most senior is Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 75, archbishop of New York since 2009. A leading conservative voice among U.S. cardinals, Dolan’s previous posts include a four-year term as president of the U.S. bishops’ conference and seven years as rector of the Pontifical North American College, a seminary in Rome for U.S. students preparing for priesthood. 

Archbishop of Chicago for over 10 years, 76-year-old Cardinal Blase Cupich emerged during Francis’ pontificate as an unofficial go-between for the more left-leaning U.S. bishops and the Vatican. 

While not an American, in the North American region Cardinal Christophe Pierre wields significant influence as the pope’s representative to the United States of America since 2016. The 79-year-old Frenchman has served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since the mid-1990s as apostolic nuncio to Haiti, Uganda, and Mexico. 

Africa 

There are 18 cardinal electors from Africa in the college, 16 of whom were chosen by Pope Francis, including Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A champion for social justice, including in the political sphere, the 65-year-old cardinal has emerged as a leader of the Church in Africa. He is president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and led the Church in Africa’s opposition to Fiducia Supplicans, a declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith allowing the blessing of same-sex couples.  

Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui, 58, was the Church’s youngest cardinal at the time of his elevation in 2016 and is the first-ever cardinal from the Central African Republic. In November 2015, he welcomed Pope Francis in the Diocese of Bangui where the Holy Father opened the first door of the Holy Year of Mercy. As a participant in the 2018 Youth Synod, Nzapalainga emphasized the importance of the Gospel and resisting Western “ideological colonization.” 

Europe 

Many of the important voices among cardinals in Europe are non-electors, including Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the archbishop emeritus of Genoa. The 82-year-old was president of the Italian bishops’ conference from 2007–2017 and served five-year terms as vice president and then president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). 

The 94-year-old Cardinal Camillo Ruini is also an influential figure in the Church in Italy. He has held many different leadership roles, most importantly as vicar general of Rome from 1991–2008 and president of the Italian bishops’ conference from 1991–2007. 

Luxembourg’s archbishop, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, was a key leader of the multiyear Synod on Synodality at the Vatican. The 66-year-old, who has occasionally expressed controversial opinions on issues such as women priests and homosexuality, was a member of the pope’s council of cardinal advisers and spent a term as president of the European bishops’ commission (COMECE). 

Cardinal Roberto Repole, archbishop of the northern Italian Archdiocese of Turin and bishop of Susa, is a rising star in the Italian episcopate. The 58-year-old theologian, made a cardinal in 2024, was one of the Italian bishop delegates to the Synod on Synodality, during which he was invited to speak as an expert at a public theological forum. He is also a member of a synod study group on “the synodal missionary face of the local Church.” 

Recently retired as archbishop of Vienna, Austria, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, 80, is also a non-elector. A theologian who led Austria’s most populous archdiocese for three decades, Schönborn helped write the Catechism of the Catholic Church and chaired the Austrian bishops’ conference for 22 years. He was also chairman of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinals. 

Asia/Oceania 

Cardinal Mario Zenari, 79, originally from Italy, has served as the pope’s representative in Syria since 2008, where he has been a powerful advocate for the people suffering for over a decade from civil war and for Christians throughout the Middle East. As a member of the Vatican’s diplomatic corps since 1980, he was stationed in Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall. He has also been apostolic nuncio in Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Niger, and been the Holy See’s observer at several United Nations institutions. 

The head of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC), Cardinal Charles Bo became the first cardinal of Myanmar in 2015. The 76-year-old cardinal, who has led the Archdiocese of Yangon since 2003, told EWTN News in 2021 he feels called to be a voice for human rights for his people in the Church in Asia, including under Myanmar’s military coup. 

Latin America 

Cardinal Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, OFM, is archbishop of Manaus in the Amazonian part of Brazil. The 74-year-old cardinal participated in both the Amazon synod and the Synod on Synodality and is known for being a defender of the poor and Indigenous. He is also considered “pro-LGBTQ.” In the past he has stated that “there will be a way” to end mandatory priestly celibacy. 

The 64-year-old Cardinal Jaime Spengler, OFM, has emerged as a prominent figure in the Church in Brazil and throughout South America, heading both the Catholic bishops’ conference of Brazil and the Latin American bishops’ conference (CELAM). As archbishop of Porto Alegre, he has also supported an Amazonian rite of the Mass and urged “openness” to the idea of married priests to combat priest shortages in his part of the world.  

A fellow Brazilian, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz retired as prefect of the Vatican’s congregation for consecrated life in January. The 78-year-old supports liberation theology and was one of Pope Francis’ hand-picked delegates to the 2019 Amazon Synod. 

Cardinal Fernando Sturla Berhouet, SDB, heads the Archdiocese of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Before becoming a bishop, Sturla, a member of the Salesian religious order, served as Salesian provincial for Uruguay and then president of the Conference of Religious of Uruguay. The 65-year-old cardinal has battled to preserve the faith as his country becomes increasingly secular. His priestly ministry is characterized by a care for the weakest and the spiritual accompaniment of young people.