Credit: CatholicVote (McKenna Snow)
ROME // In an unusual turn of events ahead of the 2025 papal conclave, the official ages of two African cardinals – John Njue of Kenya and Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso – were recently revised in the Vatican’s official yearbook, making both eligible to participate in the election of the next pope.
The unusual administrative “update” of two originally non-voting cardinals into voters drew the attention of the Italian press on Saturday, May 3. During the press conference at the Vatican press office, a correspondent from the Italian news agency ANSA asked about the reason for the sudden change.
Under Church law, only cardinals who have not yet reached their 80th birthday on the day the papacy becomes vacant are allowed to vote in the conclave. Previously, both Cardinals Njue and Ouédraogo were believed to be over the age limit, which would have excluded them from the electoral process. However, following a review and submission of new documentation, their dates of birth were corrected, effectively “rejuvenating” them and restoring their right to enter the Sistine Chapel as electors.
“Not all countries enjoy the same quality of registry offices,” explained Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office. He noted that the initial declarations on the cardinals’ dates of birth “have been modified with a valid document.” The change means that, contrary to previous records, both cardinals are now officially under 80, an age they both will reach later in the year.
Despite the correction, Cardinal Njue will not travel to Rome due to health concerns, leaving French-speaking Cardinal Ouédraogo, emeritus of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) as the only one of the two expected to take part in the conclave.
With 18 African cardinal electors, the continent’s voice is more prominent than ever in the selection of the next pope.