Cardinal Santos Abril y Castello was born on 21 September 1935 in Alfambra, Spain. He was ordained a priest on 19 March 1960 and holds doctorates in the social sciences and in canon law. After qualifying as a papal diplomat in 1967 at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Rome, he was appointed secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature in Pakistan then in Turkey. He received episcopal ordination on 16 June 1985, subsequent to his appointment as titular Archbishop of Tamada and Apostolic Nuncio in Bolivia. He served as Apostolic Nuncio in Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. In 1989 he was appointed Nuncio in the then Yugoslavia. He was elected spokesman of the Diplomatic Corps in Belgrade. He served in Argentina, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and most recently, until 2011 in Macedonia. In January 2011 he was appointed Vice-Camerlengo of the of the Holy Roman Church. He has been a member of the Congregation for Bishops and of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On November 2011 was appointed Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major. On 23 July 2012, he resigned as Vice-Chamberlain of the Apostolic Chamber. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Angelo Acerbi was born in Sesta Godano on 23 September 1925. On 27 March 1948, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of La Spezia. After earning a degree in canon law, he obtained his licence in theology. Having completed the course of study at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1954, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

He worked in the nunciatures in Colombia, Brazil, Japan and France, as well as in the International Relations Department of the Holy See's Secretariat of State. In March 1974, he was sent on a mission to Spain to ease church–state tensions over a sermon circulated by Bishop Antonio Añoveros Ataún of Bilbao advocating greater freedom for Spain's Basques.

On 22 June 1974, Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Zella in Tunisia, and apostolic pronuncio to New Zealand and apostolic delegate to the Pacific Ocean. He received episcopal consecration on 30 June from Pope Paul; the co-consecrators were archbishops Giovanni Benelli, deputy for the General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, and Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. On 6 February 1979, he was named Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Fiji as well.

On 14 August 1979 Pope John Paul II appointed him apostolic nuncio to Colombia. On 27 February 1980, Acerbi was taken hostage along with more than a dozen other diplomats and more than forty others, when communist guerillas belonging to the 19th of April Movement assaulted the embassy of the Dominican Republic in Bogota. He was one of the last released in Havana on 28 April. Acerbi was allowed to celebrate Mass daily in captivity.

On 28 March 1990, he was transferred to Hungary, the first apostolic nuncio to be named after the establishment of Communism in that country. During Acerbi's diplomatic assignment in Hungary, the Holy See concluded an agreement with the Republic of Hungary on religious assistance to the Armed Forces and the Border Police and prepared another relating to the financing of public and other purely religious activities carried out by the Catholic Church in Hungary, in particular the financing of educational activities, which was signed shortly after the end of Acerbi's tenure in Hungary. On 13 January 1994 he was also appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Moldova. On 8 February 1997 he was transferred to the nunciature in the Netherlands. On 27 February 2001, Pope John Paul II named François Bacqué to succeed him in that position, ending his career as an active nuncio.

On 2 June 2001, Pope John Paul named Acerbi to two curial positions, member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and member of the council of cardinals and bishops for the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State. On 4 April 2002, the pope added membership in the Congregation for Bishops.

On 21 June 2001, he was appointed prelate of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, tasked with overseeing the priestly life of its chaplains and assisting the Order's leaders in promoting the religious observance of its members. On 21 January 2006, Acerbi denounced the comments published in the Italian weekly Panorama a month earlier, which said that Acerbi was leading a faction of young adherents of the Order dissatisfied its failure to emphasize its Christian identity. On 4 July 2015, Pope Francis appointed a new prelate, Monsignor Jean Laffitte.

Acerbi is scheduled to lead a spiritual meditation during the triennial gathering of the Holy See's diplomats in September 2022.

On 6 October 2024, Pope Francis announced that he planned to make Acerbi a cardinal on 8 December, a date that was later changed to 7 December.

On 7 December 2024, Pope Francis made him a cardinal, assigning him as a member of the order of cardinal deacons the deaconry of Santi Angeli Custodi a Città Giardino. With his elevation, he surpassed Estanislao Esteban Karlic to become the oldest living Cardinal.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, is an Italian missionary and musician who has dedicated himself to the twin concerns of migration and ecology — two priorities which he sees as closely connected.

Born on January 15, 1965, in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, he enrolled at a Scalabrian Missionaries’ minor seminary at the age of eleven and made his perpetual profession in 1991. He was ordained priest in 1992. “There was a good atmosphere of brotherhood” in the seminary he recalls. “I loved service to others and had always been attracted by solidarity with the less fortunate. I came from a family that had suffered to survive, and this generated in me a sense of responsibility.”

Baggio has a bachelor’s degree in theology and a doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He says his theological training was influenced by theologians Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Ratzinger, Jean Gallo, and Luis Ladaria Ferrer, as well as by thinkers in the “theology of migration.”

The bulk of Cardinal Baggio’s career has been dedicated to migrants and refugees. He has served in various roles across different countries, showcasing his commitment to this cause.

In Chile in the 1990s, he worked as a consultant on migration with the Chilean Bishops Conference. Later, he became the Director of the Buenos Aires Archdiocese’s Department of Migration, during which time he collaborated with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and formed a lasting friendship.

Baggio has taught at several universities in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. He directed the Scalabrini Migration Center in Quezon City, Philippines, and was responsible for the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal from 2002 to 2010. In 2010, he was appointed director of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI) in Rome, part of the Pontifical Urbanian University. Since 2013, he has been its dean and a full professor.

Cardinal Baggio’s expertise in migration issues led to his appointment in the Vatican. In January 2017, he began serving as co-undersecretary of the migrants and refugees section of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. In April 2022, he was appointed undersecretary of the entire dicastery.

In 2021, he was named a member of the Vatican’s COVID-19 commission that controversially promoted the idea that taking the anti-covid jabs was an “act of love.”

In 2023, Cardinal Baggio’s responsibilities expanded further when he was chosen to implement the Vatican’s ecological project, the Borgo Laudato Si’, an ecologically focused farming laboratory and training center based in Castel Gandolfo. Its aim is to “promote ecological conversion,” Baggio has said, and to “transition to a circular, generative economy.”

The cardinal sees migration and ecology as linked. He said in 2024: “We can’t ignore ecology, because the areas most affected by new atmospheric phenomena, creating desertification, water shortages, etc., are the areas from which even more migrants will come in the future.”

Pope Francis elevated Baggio to cardinal on December 7, 2024, having also bestowed on him the personal title of archbishop on October 31, 2024. Baggio’s episcopal consecration is scheduled for January 11, 2025. He is expected to replace Cardinal Michael Czerny, who will retire soon on age grounds, as head of the dicastery.

Beyond his religious and humanitarian work, Cardinal Baggio is also a musician and composer. He has composed theatrical and electro-pop Christian songs, drawing inspiration from Italian singers of the 70s and 80s, as well as English-language songwriters. His musical tastes range from pop to classical, with favorites including Bach, Beethoven, and Vivaldi.

“Music has always accompanied me in my missions,” he says. “Since 2010, however, I’ve had to put the guitar on hold. I continue to listen to a variety of very eclectic genres, and I always say that there will come a time when I may start composing again.”

From his international experience, Cardinal Baggio likely speaks Italian (his native language), English, and Spanish.

Service to the Church

• Ordination to the Priesthood:
• Ordination to the Episcopate: scheduled for 11 January 2025
• Elevation to the College of Cardinals: 7 December 2024

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in theology
• 1998: Licentiate and Doctorate in Church History, Pontifical Gregorian University

Assignments

• 1995-1997: Pastor in Santiago de Chile and councilor to the Migrations Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Chile
• 1997-2002: Director of Migrations Department of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires
• 1999-2002: Responsibilities for evangelization for the Pontifical Missions of Argentina
• 1999-2010: Professor at various institutions including Universidad del Salvador (Buenos Aires), Institute of Theology of São Paulo, University of Manila, and Maryhill School of Theology (Quezon City, Philippines)
• 2000-2013: Visiting professor at the Scalabrini International Migration Institute, Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome
• 2013: Full professor and president of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute
• 2017: Appointed undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
• 2021: Named member of the Vatican’s COVID-19 commission
• 2022: Appointed sole undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section with expanded responsibilities for special projects
  
  https://collegeofcardinalsreport.com/cardinals/cardinal-fabio-baggio-c-s/

Lorenzo Baldisseri was born in San Pietro in Campo, Barga, Italy, on 29 September 1940. The youngest of seven children, he entered the seminary in Pisa, where in addition to theology and philosophy he also studied piano. He was ordained a priest on 29 June 1963. He holds a licence in dogmatic theology and a doctorate in canon law. In 1971 he entered the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy where he graduated two years later. He also studied at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and then studied polyphony and sacred music with Domenico Bartolucci. When he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1973 he was sent to Guatemala and El Salvador as an official. One year later he was promoted to secretary. Subsequently he worked in the nunciatures of Japan, Brazil, Paraguay and France. Between 1986 and 1991 he served at the Pontifical representation to Zimbabwe. In 1991 he was sent to Haiti. On 15 January 1992 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Diocletiana and Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti. He received his episcopal ordination on 7 March of that year. He returned to Haiti on 28 March during a time of social tension and violence, including against the Church. He remained there until 1995, when he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Paraguay. In 1999 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, and in 2002 as Nuncio to Brazil. In 2012 he was called to Rome and began serving as Secretary in the Congregation of Bishops. Later he was appointed as consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Secretary of the College of Cardinals. On 21 September 2013 Pope Francis entrusted to him the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. He is currently a member of the Congregation for Bishops and is a counsellor at the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Cardinal Bocos Merino was born 17 May 1938 in Canillas de Esgueva, Valladolid, Spain. He completed his studies at the seminaries of the Claretian Missionaries, where he entered as a postulant in Segovia and went on to the novitiate in Ciudad Real. He made his religious profession for the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1956 and was ordained a priest on 23 May 1963. He holds a degree in philosophy from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, and a diploma in clinical psychology. He has served as: spiritual director at the Colegio Mayor Maronita in Salamanca (1964-1967); spiritual director at the Claretian Theologate, and professor in various educational institutions of the congregation; editor of the Vida Religiosa Magazine (1971-1980); co-founder of the Theological Institute for Religious Life in Madrid and director of the Regina Apostolorum School for theological and catechetical formation (1976-1979; provincial superior of the Claretian Missionaries in Castilla (1980-1985; general counsellor of the Claretian Missionaries (1980-1991). In 1991 he was elected Superior General of the Claretians for two terms and later was re-elected for a second six-year term. From 1991 to 2003, he was a member of the Council of the Union of Superiors General. From 1994 to 2004 he was a member of the Congregation for Consecrated Life. He attended three Synods of Bishops: that for Consecrated Life (1994); the Second Special Assembly for Europe (1999), and that on the role and mission of the Bishop (2001). After the announcement of the Consistory, he was assigned the titular episcopal See of Urusi on 31 May. On the following 16 June he was ordained Archbishop of Urusi in the Parish of Saint Anthony Mary Claret. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Cardinal Domenico Calcagno born on 3 February 1943 in Tramontana di Parodi, Ligure, Italy. He holds a BA in philosophy and a doctorate in dogmatic theology. He was ordained a priest on 25 February 1967. He was rector of the Oratorio di Sant'Erasmo in Genoa-Quinto for 20 years, taught theology at the Major Seminary, Genoa, and fundamental morals at the Interdiocesan Theological Studium, Alessandria. After the promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law he was a member of the working group set up to bring diocesan structures into line with the new Code. In 1985 he was appointed President of the Diocesan Institute for the Support of the Diocesan Clergy of Genoa. He moved to Rome to become secretary of the Italian Presbyteral Commission; national director of the Office for Inter-Church Missionary Cooperation; President of the Central Institute for the Support of the Clergy; Treasurer of the Italian Episcopal Conference and a member of its Council for Economic affairs, President of the College of Auditors of Caritas Italiana and Administrative Councillor of the Vatican Publishing House. He received episcopal ordination on 9 March 2002, subsequent to his appointment as Bishop of Savona-Noli. He was also bishop-delegate of the Ligurian Bishops' Conference. He resigned from the office on 31 August 2007 when the Holy Father appointed him Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) with the title of archbishop ad personam. He was appointed President of APSA on 7 July 2011. He retired as President of APSA on 26 June 2018.

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa was born 22 July 1934 in Colli del Tronto, Italy. He obtained a doctorate in theology in Freiburg, Switzerland, and a degree in classic literature at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan. He was ordained a priest on 19 October 1958. Following his studies he became a professor of history of Christian origins and director of the department of religious sciences at the University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. He was a member of the International Theological Commission from 1975 to 1981, and served as a member of the Catholic delegation for dialogue with the Pentecostal Churches for 12 years. In 1979 he left the field of education to dedicate himself full-time to the ministry of the Word. He was appointed Preacher of the Papal Household by John Paul II in 1980, and confirmed in this position by Benedict XVI in 2005, and by Pope Francis in 2013. In this role, each week during Advent and Lent, he offers a meditation to the Bishop of Rome and the Curia. He has been asked to preach in many countries throughout the world. He has received honorary degrees, in law from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, in communication science from the University of Macerata, and in theology from the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. In addition to books and writings of a scientific nature, he has published numerous books on spirituality, resulting from his preaching to the Papal Household, translated into some 20 languages.  Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Card. Czerny, 73, was born in Brno, Czech Republic, and was raised in Montreal, Canada. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1963, and was ordained a priest for the Jesuit Province of Canada 9/6/1973. He earned a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Chicago in 1978. In Toronto the following year he founded the Jesuit Centre (now Forum) for Social Faith and Justice, which he led until 1989 when he was transferred to San Salvador following the assassination of six of his confreres at the Central American University. There he served as vice rector and director of the university, as well as director of its Institute for Human Rights. He acted as mediator in the negotiations that led to the end of El Salvador’s civil war in 1992, and in 1995 he participated in a United Nations investigative commission on the coup d’etat in Haiti. From 1992 to 2002 he served as Secretary for Social Justice at the Jesuits’ general curia in Rome. He was transferred to Africa where he became the founding director of the African Jesuit AIDS Network. During his tenure there he also taught at the Hekima College of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi. In 2010 he was called to Rome by Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, to serve as an advisor. In 2016 the Council was incorporated into what is now the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Czerny was appointed Undersecretary of the Dicastery’s Section for Migrants and Refugees in 2017. On 1 January 2022, he was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
 

Father Luis Pascual Dri is 96 years old and continues to serve the Lord every day by administering the sacrament of reconciliation. He was born in Federación, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina, on 17 April 1927, into a family where all but one of the children consecrated themselves to God in the religious life. From a very young age he worked in the fields, tending animals and also planting corn and alfalfa. He entered the Capuchin seminary in January 1938 at the age of 11, and took the Capuchin habit on 21 February 1945. On 29 March 1952, he was ordained a priest in the Cathedral of Montevideo.  Director of the San Francisco de Carrasco Minor Seminary in 1953, in 1961, he specialised in Europe as formator of novices. In 1962 he began his mission as educator at the Colegio y Liceo Secco Illa de Uruguay, until 1974. A parish priest in several churches, at the beginning of 2000, he was transferred to the Shrine Ntra. Sra. De Pompeya, Buenos Aires, where he spent three years, then was appointed parish priest in Mar del Plata. In 2007, he returned again to the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Pompeya.

Card. Farrell was born, 2 September 1947, in Dublin, Ireland. He attended the University of Salamanca in Spain, then the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He obtained licenses in philosophy and theology at the pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He later completed an MBA at the University of Notre Dame in the USA. He entered the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1966 and was ordained priest on 24 December 1978. He served as chaplain at the University of Monterrey in Mexico, professor of Economics, then as general administrator in charge of the Legionaries of Christ's seminaries and schools in Italy, Spain and Ireland. He served in pastoral ministry at Saint Bartholomew parish, Bethesda, Maryland (1983-1984). In 1984 he was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Washington, where he served in various capacities (1984-2002), including as assistant pastor at Saint Thomas the Apostle parish, director of the Spanish Catholic Center, regent executive director of Charitable Catholic Organizations, secretary for Financial Affairs, pastor of Annunciation parish. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Rusuccuru and Auxiliary of Washington on 28 December 2001, receiving episcopal ordination the following 11 February. Since 2001 he has been vicar general for Administration and moderator of the Curia. On 6 March 2007 he was appointed Bishop of Dallas. On 15 August 2016, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the new Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. On 14 February 2019, he was appointed Chamberlain (Camerlengo) of the Apostolic Chamber. 

Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, was born on 21 August 1960 in Gozón-Luanco in Astxuria, Spain, and is Rector Major of the Salesians. He made his first profession on 3 September 1978, perpetual vows on 17 June 1984 at Santiago de Compostela, and was ordained priest on 4 July 1987 in León. Originally from the Province of León, he gained his degree in Pastoral Theology and licentiate in Philosophy and Theology. He was Delegate for Youth Ministry, Rector of the school at Ourense, member of the Council and Vice-Provincial and, from 2000 al 2006, Provincial. After being part of the technical commission that prepared for the 26th General Chapter, in 2009 he was appointed Superior of the South Argentine Province with headquarters in Buenos Aires. He had the opportunity in this role to get to know and personally collaborate with the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, today Pope Francis. On 23 December 2013 he was appointed Superior of the new Province of Mediterranean Spain dedicated to "Mary Help of Christians", but before taking up this new role, on 25 March 2014, he was elected by the 27th General Chapter as Rector Major of the Salesian Congregation and the 10th Successor of Don Bosco.  On 11 March 2020 he was reconfirmed by CG28 as Rector Major for a second term 2020-2026.

Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández was born on 18 July 1962 in Alcira Gigena, in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. He was ordained a priest on 15 August 1986 for the diocese of Villa de la Concepción del Río Cuarto, Argentina. He was awarded a licentiate in theology with biblical specialization from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and subsequently a doctorate in theology from the Faculty of Theology of Buenos Aires. From 1993 to 2000 he was parish priest of Santa Teresita in Río Cuarto, Córdoba. He was the founder and director of the Institute for Lay Formation and the Jesús Buen Pastor Formation Centre for Teachers in the same city. In his diocese he was also a seminary formator, director for ecumenism and director for catechesis. In 2007 he participated in the Fifth Conference of Latin American Bishops (Aparecida) as a priest representing Argentina and later as a member of the drafting group for the final document. From 2008 to 2009 he was dean of the Faculty of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and president of the Argentine Theological Society. From 2009 to 2018 he was rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. On 13 May 2013 he was appointed archbishop by Pope Francis. He participated, as a member, in the 2014 and 2015 Synods of Bishops on the family, in which he was also part of the drafting groups. In the 2017 Assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina, he was elected president of the Episcopal Commission for Faith and Culture (Doctrinal Commission). In June 2018 he assumed the office of archbishop of La Plata. He has been a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture and Consultor of the Congregation for Catholic Education. He is currently a member of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. He has published more than 300 books and scientific articles, many of which have been translated into various languages. These works demonstrate an important biblical foundation and a constant commitment to the dialogue between theology and culture, the evangelizing mission, spirituality and social issues.

Cardinal Enrico Feroci was born 27 August 1940 in Pizzoli, Italy. He studied at the Pontifical Roman Minor Seminary and then at the Roman Major Seminary. After studying philosophy, theology and law at the Pontifical Lateran University, he obtain a Master's Degree in community education and psychology from the Pontifical Salesian University and Rome's Sapienza University. He was ordained a priest on 13 March 1965, and served as prefect in the community at the Pontifical Roman Minor Seminary and then assistant and treasurer at the Major Seminary (1966-1968). In 1968 he returned to the Minor Seminary as vice-rector. In 1976 he became associate parish priest of San Frumenzio ai Prati Fiscali and in 1981, parish priest of the same parish. He has served as: Prefect of the IX Prefecture; Secretary of the Northern Sector; member of the Presbyteral Council, of the Council for economic affairs, and of the College of Consultors of the diocese. He left San Frumenzio to serve as parish priest of Sant'Ippolito from 2004 to 2009. On 1 September 2009 the Cardinal Vicar appointed him director of the diocesan Caritas. He was nominated as president of the “Caritas Roma” foundation and of he antiusury foundation “Salus Populi Romani.” He then served as president of the “Rome Solidarity Cooperative” and Consultor of the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. On 10 November 2017 he as appointed president of the public clerical association of the Oblate Sons of Our Lady of Divine Love, and made him rector of the Seminary of Our Lady of Divine Love (1 September 2018). He was appointed Canon and Camerlengo of the Papal Lateran Basilica. On 1 September 2019 he was appointed parish priest of Holy Mary of Divine Love in Castel di Leva. He was ordained a bishop on 15 November 2020 subsequent to his appointment as titular Archbishop of Cures Sabinorum. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Card. Fitzgerald, 82, was born in Walsall, United Kingdom. He was ordained a priest for the White Fathers missionaries on 3 February 1961. He earned a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1965, and a degree in Arabic from the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in 1968. He taught at the Pontifical Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies (PISAl) in Rome from 1968 to 1978, and was appointed director of the Institute in 1972. In the meantime he also taught at the University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda from 1969 to 1971. He served in pastoral ministry for two years in Sudan, and was a member of the general council of the Society of Missionaries of Africa from 1980 to 1986. In February 1987, after some 10 years as a consultor, he was appointed Secretary of the Vatican Secretariat for Non-Christians, which later became the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He was appointed a bishop by Benedict XVI, who assigned him the titular Episcopal See of Nepte. He received his episcopal ordination on 6 January 1992. On 15 February 2006 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Egypt, a post he held until October 2012. He has since retired to his congregation’s home in Liverpool, England.  Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

The Reverend Msgr. Fortunato Frezza was born in Rome on 6 February 1942. In 1966, after studies in the minor seminary of Bagnoregio and the major seminary of Viterbo, he was ordained a priest.

In 1967 he received a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, and in 1977 he obtained a degree in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome with a philological thesis on the book of the prophet Micah.

During his priestly ministry he held the following positions and ministries: from 1971 to 1984 he was parish priest in Spicciano and at the same time lecturer in Sacred Scripture at various theological institutes: the Pontifical Gregorian University (as assistant), La Quercia Viterbo Regional Seminary, various Institutes of Religious Sciences (Albano, Civita Castellana, Viterbo), International Theological Studentate of the Josephites of Murialdo in Viterbo and the Salesians in the Holy Land.

In 1983 he was appointed in the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, and from 1997 to 2014 he served as under-secretary.

In 1999 he was appointed Prelate of Honor of His Holiness.

In 2013 he was appointed canon of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, and in 2022 became Camerlengo of the Chapter of Saint Peter in the Vatican.

He has also served as spiritual assistant to staff in the Directorate of Health and Hygiene at the Vatican; spiritual assistance to several monasteries of nuns; and chaplain of the A.S. Roma football team.

His publications currently number 123 titles, particularly in the biblical field.
 

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti was born 27 October 1965 in Castel San Pietro Terme, Bologna, Italy. After obtaining a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Bologna, in September 1992 he officially began his journey with the Order of Friars Minor Conventual for whom, after a novitiate year, he professed his temporary vows on 29 August 1995, and his perpetual vows on 20 September 1998. He obtained a degree in theology at the Theological Institute of Assisi, and then a license in theological anthropology at the Theological Faculty of Central Italy in Florence. He was ordained a priest on 8 January 2000, and served as animator of youth and vocational ministry for Emilia-Romagna and from 2005 to 2009 as custos of the Conventual Franciscan community in the Shrine of the Very Holy Crucifix in Longiano. In 2009 he was elected Provincial Minister of the Province of Saint Anthony of Padua. On 22 February 2013 he became General Custodian of the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi, a four year term which was reconfirmed in 2017. He was appointed episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry of Saint Francis Papal Basilica and of other places of worship run by the Friars Minor Conventual in the same  diocese. He was elected President of the Inter-Mediterranean Federation of Provincial Ministers of his Order in September 2017. He was appointed President of the Fabric of St Peter on 20 February 2021 and Archpriest of St Peter Basilica.

The Reverend Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, S.J., was born in Rome on 5 July 1942. He received a doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 1966. In the same year he entered the Society of Jesus and completed his studies in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest in 1973. He later obtained a degree and doctorate in canon law from the same University.

From 1975 he taught canon Law at the Institute of Religious Studies, the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University where he would later become full professor; from 1995 to 2004 dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, and from 2004 to 2010, Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University.

The Reverend Fr. Ghirlanda has served the Holy See as consultant to various Congregations and Councils: the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; the Congregation for the Clergy; the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts; the Pontifical Council for the Laity; the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; the Congregation for Bishops; the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; member of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life; prelate and attorney at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; judge of the Court of Appeals of the Vatican City State. He also collaborated in the drafting of several Apostolic Constitutions.

He has published several books and over 110 articles specializing mainly in canon law.

He has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

Cardinal Mario Grechi, 63, was born in Qala, Malta. After completing his studies in philosophy and theology at the Sacred Heart Seminary of Gozo, he was ordained a priest on 16 May 1984. Studying in Rome, he obtained a license in canon and civil law at the Lateran University and a doctorate in canon law at the Angelicum. He returned to Malta and exercised his ministry at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu in Gozo. He served as: parish priest in the parishes of Ta’ Kercem and of Saint Lawrence; as Judicial Vicar of the diocese and of the ecclesiastical Tribunal of Malta; as a teacher of canon law at the seminary and as a member of the College of consultors, of the Presbyteral Council and of the diocesan commissions for theology, family and social communications. On 26 November 2005 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Gozo, a ministry he continued until 2009. Between 2008 and 2009 he launched the diocesan mission and made several pastoral visits to the Maltese communities in the USA, Albania, Canada, Brazil Australia and Peru. He was appointed Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops by Pope Francis on 2 October 2019. On 28 April 2020, he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and on 15 September the same year, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.

Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti was born in Verona in 1955, Cardinal Gugerotti joined the Pius Society of Don Nicola Mazza and was ordained a priest in 1982. At the Ca' Foscari University in Venice he received a degree in Oriental Languages and Literature, as well as a licentiate in liturgy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo and a doctorate in Oriental Ecclesiastical Sciences at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. Cardinal Gugerotti worked at the Congregation for Oriental Churches, starting in 1985. In 1997 Saint Pope John Paul II appointed him undersecretary of the Congregation. He was appointed an archbishop in 2002 and became Apostolic Nuncio of various countries where various Eastern Churches are located: 2002 in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan; 2011 in Belarus; 2015 in Ukraine; and 2020 in Great Britain. He has been Prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches since January 2023.

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad is a trained Vatican diplomat and Syro Malabar archbishop from Kerala, India, who has organized Pope Francis’ international trips since 2021.

Born on August 11, 1973, in Chethipuzha, Changanacherry, Kerala, India, Koovakad comes from a “vibrant community where the faith is passed down through generations as a family treasure.” Attending daily Mass was “encouraged,” he has said, and he “never missed daily evening prayer with my family members.” He credits the faith of his family, especially his grandparents, parents and ordained uncle for helping him to discover his vocation to the priesthood.

Koovakad completed his intermediate and bachelor’s degrees in chemistry from SB College, Changanassery, where he also served as the president of the Catholic Students Movement. He then pursued his religious education at St Thomas Minor Seminary, Kurichy, and St Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Aluva, obtaining a licentiate in 2004.

Ordained priest on July 24, 2004, by Archbishop Joseph Powathil, Koovakad initially served as an assistant vicar at St Mary’s Church, Parel, Changanacherry. He then moved to Rome to further his studies, earning a doctorate in canon law in 2006 from Opus Dei’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

After also completing his formation at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 2006, Koovakad joined the Vatican’s diplomatic service. His diplomatic career included assignments in various countries beginning with Algeria (2006-2009), then South Korea (2009-2012), Iran (2012-2014), Costa Rica (2014-2018), and Venezuela (2018-2020).

In July 2020, Koovakad returned to Rome to work as an official in the Secretariat of State. Since 2021, he has been responsible for organizing Pope Francis’ international travels, including visits to Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and a lengthy trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore in 2024.

Koovakad has also received several honors throughout his career: he was appointed Chaplain of His Holiness in 2014, and in 2019 named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness.

Pope Francis appointed Koovakad as titular archbishop of Nisibis of the Chaldeans and he was consecrated archbishop on November 24, 2024, at Changanassery Cathedral.

The Pope elevated Archbishop Koovakad to cardinal on December 7, 2024, making Koovakad one of the Church’s youngest cardinals at the age of 51.

Koovakad says he sees two main challenges for the Church and the world: “First, we must recognize the presence of Jesus in our fellow beings and serve them. Second, we are to acknowledge that God has confided a precious responsibility to each one of us for the stewardship of the physical universe and to take care of our common home.” He aligns with Pope Francis’ positions on safeguarding the environment, fostering human fraternity, and reaching out to the poor and the marginalized.

Demonstrating his high regard for Cardinal Koovakad, in September 2023 Pope Francis made a video call to Koovakad’s 95-year-old grandmother to inquire about her health and offer his blessings.

Koovakad says that to “spread the fragrance of Christ’s love” (from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians) is his priority and his chosen episcopal motto. “Whatever we radiate should flow from Jesus.”

Cardinal Koovakad is multilingual, and speaks English, Malayalam, and Italian fluently.

Service to the Church

• Ordination to the Priesthood: 24 July 2004
• Ordination to the Episcopate: 24 November 2024
• Elevation to the College of Cardinals: 7 December 2024

Education

• 1994: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, SB College, Changanassery
• 2004: Licentiate, St Thomas Minor Seminary, Kurichy, and St Joseph Pontifical Seminary, Aluva
• 2006: Doctorate in Canon Law, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome
• 2006: Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy

Assignments

• 2004: Served as Assistant Vicar at St Mary’s Church, Parel, Changanacherry
• 2006-2009: Worked at the Apostolic Nunciature in Algeria
• 2009-2012: Secretary of the Nunciature in South Korea
• 2012-2014: Secretary of the Nunciature in Iran
• 2014-2018: Counsellor of the Nunciature in Costa Rica
• 2018-2020: Counsellor of the Nunciature in Venezuela
• 2020-present: Official in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State
• 2021-present: Responsible for organizing Pope Francis’ international travels

Honors

• 2014: Appointed Chaplain of His Holiness
• 2019: Named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness
  
  https://collegeofcardinalsreport.com/cardinals/cardinal-george-jacob-koovakad/

Cardinal Krajewski was born 25 November 1963 in Łódź, Poland. He entered the Diocesan Seminary of Łódź in 1982. He was ordained priest on 11 June 1988, after obtaining a degree in theology from the Catholic University of Lublin. For two years he served as parish vicar, first in Rusiec and then in Łódź. On 5 March 1993 he obtained a license in Sacred Liturgy from the Saint Anselm Liturgical Institute in Rome. On 10 March 1995 he received a degree in theology, with a specialization in liturgy, from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He worked in the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff and was chaplain to La Sapienza University's Orthopaedic and Traumatological Clinic. In 1995, he returned to his diocese where he served as master of ceremonies for the Archbishop and taught liturgy at the diocesan seminary, where he served as prefect. He also taught liturgy at the Franciscan and Salesian Seminaries, and at the Warsaw Academy. In 1998 he returned to Rome where he served at the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. On 12 May 1999 he was appointed Papal Master of Ceremonies. On 3 August 2013 he was appointed Almoner of His Holiness and titular Archbishop of Benevento. He received episcopal ordination on 17 September 2013. He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 28 June 2018, with the title of the Diaconate of Santa Maria Immacolata all'Esquilino.

Cardinal Ladaria Ferrer was born 19 April 1944 In Manacor, Diocese of Mallorca, Spain. He obtained a law degree from the University of Madrid and entered the Society of Jesus on 17 October 1966. He completed studies in philosophy and theology at the Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid, and at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He was ordained priest 29 July 1973 and obtained a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, in 1975. He has served as: professor of dogmatic theology at the Comillas Pontifical University (1975); professor of dogmatic theology at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Gregorian University (1984) and later, vice-rector of the same institution (1986-1994); member of the International Theological Commission (1992-1997) and later (2004-2009) secretary general of the same Commission. On 9 July 2008 he was assigned the titular See of Thibica and appointed Secretary of the Congregation for the doctrine of the Faith. He was ordained bishop on the following 26 July. On 1 July 2017 he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the International Theological Commission. Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 28 June 2018, of the Diaconate of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola a Campo Marzio.

Dominique Mamberti was born in Marrakech, Morocco, on 7 March 1952, to French parents who returned to France shortly after his birth. After entering the Pontifical French Seminary in Rome, he was ordained a priest on 20 September 1981 for the diocese of Ajaccio, Corsica. He earned a degree in canon law and began studying at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. He entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service on 1 March 1986, serving in Algeria (1986-1990), Chile (1990-1993), at the UN in New York (1993-1996), in Lebanon (1996-1999), and at the Section for Relations with States at the Secretariat of State (1999-2002). On 3 July 2002, he was ordained a bishop after his appointment as Apostolic Nuncio in Sudan, titular Archbishop of Sagona and Apostolic Delegate in Somalia. On 19 February 2004 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Eritrea. On 15 September 2006, he was appointed secretary for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State by Pope Benedict XVI. He served until January 2015, leading many Holy See delegations at international meetings and conferences, especially at the General Assembly of the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. On 8 November 2014, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Apostolic Nuncio, for Pope Francis is the greatest hermeneutic of the Second Vatican Council. Born in Vicenza on 28 August 1940, he attended schools at the Patronage Leone XIII in Vicenza, then entered the seminary and was ordained a priest at Vicenza Cathedral on 28 June 1964. On 31 August 1985, he was appointed titular archbishop of Astigi with the office of apostolic nuncio to Madagascar and Mauritius. On 7 December 1990, he was transferred as Apostolic Nuncio to Tanzania, and on 18 May 1994, as Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus. On 6 November 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. On 25 August 2010, upon reaching the age of 70, he retired from his post to devote himself to studying, in particular the hermeneutics of the Second Vatican Council. In addition to Italian, he speaks French, English and Spanish.

Card. Jose Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça, 53, was born in Madeira, Portugal. He obtained a licence in theology from the Universidade Catolica Portoguesa (UCP) in 1989, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Funchal on 28 July 1990. In 1992, he obtained a licence in biblical studies. In 2004 he moved to Lisbon, where he served five years as chaplain of the city’s Catholic University. He was then sent to Rome in 2001, following his appointment as Rector of the Pontifical Portuguese College. After completing his doctorate in biblical theology in 2004, he returned to Portugal as a lecturer of New Testament and Theological Aesthetic at UCP in Lisbon, at the same time serving as director of the university’s magazine on theological studies, Didaskalia, and of the Centre for Religious and Cultural studies. After his appointment as consultor of the Pontifical Council for Culture in 2011, he was appointed vice rector of the UCP and the following year was sent as a visiting lecturer to the Catholic Universities of Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte in Brazil. For years he has edited Che cosa sono le nuvole, a column in the weekly news publication “Expresso”. Pope Francis chose him as preacher of the 2018 Lenten Spiritual Exercises for the Roman Curia and, on 26 June 2018, appointed him Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church. Msgr Calaça de Mendonça was ordained a bishop on 28 July 2018, subsequent to his appointment as titular Archbishop of Suava. Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 5 October 2019, with the Deaconry of Santi Domenico e Sisto.

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, 77, is the current apostolic nuncio to the United States, a position in which he serves as the Holy See’s representative to America. Pierre has extensive experience in the Church’s diplomatic corps and can speak French, English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Born in Rennes, in northwestern France, Pierre attended school in Antisirabé, Madagascar, Saint-Malo, France, and Marrakesh, Morocco. He entered the seminary in Rennes in 1963. His time at the seminary was interrupted by two years of service in the French military, 1965-1966. After returning to the seminary, he was ordained a priest in 1970.

Pierre earned a master’s degree in sacred theology from the Catholic University of Paris in 1971 and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in 1977. 

After studying at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, Pierre went on to serve the Church as a diplomatic representative to New Zealand and the islands of the Pacific Ocean (1977–1981), Mozambique (1981), Zimbabwe (1982–1986), Cuba (1986–1989), Brazil (1989–1991), and as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva (1991–1995). 

In 1995, Pierre was ordained a bishop in Saint-Malo, France. Pope John Paul II appointed him as the apostolic nuncio to Haiti, a position he held from 1995 to 1999. He then served as the apostolic nuncio to Uganda (1999–2007) and then to Mexico (2007–2016). 

After the retirement of Archbishop Carlo Viganò, Pope Francis appointed Pierre apostolic nuncio to the United States on April 12, 2016. 

Archbishop Robert Francis Prevost, 67, was born in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on 14 September 1955. He entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1977, in the province of Our Lady of Good Counsel in St. Louis, and made his solemn vows on 29 August 1981. He studied at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, graduating with a degree in Theology. In 1988 he was sent to the mission of Trujillo as director of the common formation project for Augustinian aspirants from the Vicariates of Chulucanas, Iquitos, and Apurímac. There he served as community prior (1988-1992), formation director (1988-1998), and teacher of the professed (1992-1998). In the Archdiocese of Trujillo, he was judicial vicar (1989-1998), and professor of Canon Law, Patristics, and Morals in the San Carlos e San Marcelo Major Seminary. In 1999 he was elected prior provincial of the “Mother of Good Counsel" Province. After two and a half years, the Ordinary General Chapter elected him prior general, a ministry the Order entrusted to him again at the 2007 Ordinary General Chapter. On 3 November 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo and on 7 November he was installed in the diocese. He was ordained Bishop of Chiclayo on 12 December 2014. On 15 April 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Callao. And in 2023, Pope Francis appointed him a Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, a former Master of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), is a well-known progressive theologian whose views on some of the Church’s moral teachings, particularly homosexuality, have caused considerable controversy.

Born on August 22, 1945, Radcliffe is one of six children and comes from one of England’s most prominent aristocratic Catholic families, with a long and respected lineage. His aristocratic heritage is also evident in his privileged education: Radcliffe was privately educated, attending the Benedictine-run schools of Worth in Sussex and the prestigious Downside in Somerset before graduating from Oxford University.

Radcliffe joined the English Province of the Dominican Order in 1965 and was ordained in 1971. He studied at Blackfriars and St John’s College in Oxford, as well as in Paris under noted French theologian Yves Congar, a proponent of the contested Nouvelle Théologie liberal movement.

Throughout his career, Radcliffe has held several significant positions. He served as chaplain to the University of London from 1974 to 1976 before returning to Oxford, where he taught scripture and doctrine for twelve years. He was Prior of Oxford from 1982 to 1988 after which he was elected Provincial of the English Province.

In 1992, he was the first member of the English Province to have ever been elected Master of the Order of Preachers, a position he held until 2001. During that time, he travelled the world, founded Dominican Volunteers International and played a key role in helping to establish the Franciscan-Dominican representative offices at the United Nations, giving the Dominicans “Non-Governmental Organization status.”

A close friend of the late Cardinal Basil Hume who hoped he would succeed him as Archbishop of Westminster, Radcliffe is a renowned theologian, preacher, and author who is largely celebrated by progressive theologians and proponents of liberal theology. His books have been translated into 24 languages. In 2007 he won the Michael Ramsey Prize, an Anglican award, for his theological writing. Radcliffe has also received numerous honorary doctorates, including from Oxford University, Fribourg University, and the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).

He has served as patron of Catholic AIDS Prevention and Support and has been involved in the ministry to people with Aids, as well campaigning against nuclear weapons. Radcliffe has also spent eight years on the board of CAFOD and is a patron of the International Young Leaders Network.

Although he had sought a simple life in Oxford in the 2000s after serving as head of the Dominicans, Radcliffe’s career gained a new lease of life after Pope Francis was elected and he found his progressive views closely aligning with those of the Francis pontificate.

In 2015, he was appointed as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, an appointment that coincided with his leadership at the time of the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars, Oxford.

In October 2023 and at the Pope’s invitation, Radcliffe offered spiritual reflections to members of the Synod on Synodality, beginning with a pre-synod retreat. At the synod’s second and final Rome meeting in October 2024, Radcliffe was given an expanded role, offering spiritual reflections throughout much of the month-long meeting as well as at a retreat before the assembly began. He spoke, among other topics, on the importance of listening and dialogue, being open to God’s Providence, and cautioning against fear-driven decision-making, whether fear of change or fear of staying the same.

After Pope Francis announced in October 2024 he would elevate Father Radcliffe to the College of Cardinals, Radcliffe requested an exemption from dressing like a cardinal which the Pope granted in “full understanding,” freeing him “from using such elaborate clothing.”

Radcliffe has not been without controversy when it comes to some of his comments on the Church’s moral teachings, and particularly relating to homosexuality. In 2005, as the Vatican debated whether men with same-sex attraction should be admitted to seminaries, following the clerical sex-abuse scandals, Father Radcliffe said the inclination should not bar men from the priesthood, but that those who oppose their candidacy should be.

In a talk in Los Angeles in 2006, Father Radcliffe called on Catholics to “accompany [homosexuals] as they discern what this means, letting our images be stretched open.” He said this would mean watching Brokeback Mountain [the first major Hollywood movie to feature a love story between two leading homosexual roles], reading gay novels, living with our gay friends and listening with them as they listen to the Lord.”

In 2012, in support of same-sex civil unions which the Vatican had always opposed, he wrote in The Tablet that homosexual relationships should be “cherished and supported” and that the “God of love can be present in every true love.” Radcliffe has often celebrated Masses for homosexual Catholics — the so-called “Soho Masses” — in London.

Writing in an Anglican journal in 2013, he said same-sex relationships “can be expressive of Christ’s self-gift” and “expressive of mutual fidelity, a covenantal relationship in which two people bind themselves to each other forever.” He opposes “gay marriage,” saying it is not equivalent to marriage, as it is not “inherently unitive.”

For many years, concerns have been raised about Radcliffe’s history of “pushing the boundaries of Catholic orthodoxy.” On homosexuality, critics say his comments contradict the Church’s teaching but that he obscures this by claiming to support the Magisterium while simultaneously questioning how it should be applied. His writings have been described as a “squid ink or smoke screen” attempting to avoid clear moral statements on homosexual activity.

Others have accused him of using rhetoric that serves as a “trojan horse” to change the Church’s teaching on sexuality; they also point out that he fails to make clear distinctions between homosexual orientation, which the Church teaches is not sinful, and homosexual acts that are considered sinful.

During the October 2024 synod, Cardinal Radcliffe was critical of the bishops of Africa who rejected Fiducia Supplicans, and he raised eyebrows by writing in L’Osservatore Romano that he believed African bishops had been “under intense pressure from Evangelicals, with American money; from Russian Orthodox, with Russian money; and from Muslims, with money from the rich Gulf countries.” He later issued a statement insisting his comments were not intended to suggest that stances taken by the African bishops “were influenced by financial considerations.”

In statements on other issues, the English Dominican voiced his support for relaxing restrictions on Holy Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried before the 2014-2015 Synods on the Family. Writing in America magazine in 2013, he said he had two “profound hopes” — that a “way will be found to welcome divorced-and-remarried people back to Communion” and that women will be allowed to preach at Mass.

Cardinal Radcliffe is a firm believer in synodality. He has warned in the past about “fear of debate” in the Church and “suspicion that if we really air our disagreements then the authority of the Church will be undermined.” He believes that courage and humility are needed to “dare to put a foot wrong” because “we cannot speak as those who have the truth wrapped up, unlike our ignorant and bigoted opponents!”

For Radcliffe, it is important to trust in the Holy Spirit that “the truth will emerge” but admits that “we might not turn out to be right.”

Service to the Church

• Ordination to the Priesthood: 2 October 1971
• Ordination to the Episcopate: never ordained to the episcopate
• Elevation to the College of Cardinals: 7 December 2024

Education

• Worth Preparatory School, Sussex
• Downside Benedictine school in Somerset
• Oxford University, England
• Studied in Paris, France

Assignments

• 1965: Joined the English Province of the Dominican Order
• 1974-1976: Chaplain to the University of London
• 1976-1988: Taught at Oxford
• 1992-2001: Elected Master of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans)
• 2001-present: Itinerant preacher and lecturer based in Oxford
• 2015: Named Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
• 2023: Led Retreats for Participants in the Synod on Synodality
• 2024: Led Retreats for Participants in the Synod on Synodality

Memberships

• Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
  
  https://collegeofcardinalsreport.com/cardinals/cardinal-timothy-peter-joseph-radcliffe-o-p/

Archbishop Arthur Roche was born in Batley Carr, in the diocese of Leeds, on 6 March 1950. He was educated at Christleton Lodge in Chester and then at the English College in Valladolid, Spain. He was ordained a priest on 19 July 1975 for the diocese of Leeds.

After three years of ministry as parish vicar in Barnsley, he became secretary to Bishop Gordon Wheeler of Leeds. At the same time, he served as chaplain of the Saint John Bosco School in Leeds and vice chancellor of the diocese. He coordinated the visit of the Holy Father John Paul II to York in 1982. For six years he worked as parish vicar of the cathedral and then became parish priest of Saint Wilfrid’s parish in Leeds.

In 1991 he was sent to Rome to continue his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he was awarded a licentiate in Spiritual Theology. For four years he served as spiritual director at the Venerable English College in Rome. From 1996 until his episcopal appointment, he was secretary general of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Elected titular bishop of Rusticiana and auxiliary of Westminster on 12 April 2001, he received episcopal consecration on the following 10 May. He was also chairman of the Westminster Department of Pastoral Affairs. On 16 July 2002 Pope John Paul II appointed him coadjutor bishop of Leeds, England, succeeding as bishop of Leeds on 7 April 2004.

On 26 June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, elevating him at the same time to the dignity of Archbishop. On 27 May 2021 Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of this same congregation, now titled the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, elevating him to Cardinal on 27 August 2022, with the title Cardinal Deacon of San Saba.

Cardinal Franc Rode was born on September 23, 1934, near Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was ordained a priest with the Congregation of the Missions on June 29, 1960. On April 6, 1997 he became Archbishop of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Februray 11, 2004 he was appointed Prefect of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life for the Roman Curia. He was elevated to Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on March 24, 2006 and appointed Cardinal-Deacon of S. Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella. He retired as Prefect of the Institutes of Consecrated Life on 4 January 2011. Having turned 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector. 

Marcello Semeraro was born 22 December 1947 in Monteroni di Lecce, Italy. He received his initial priestly formation at the Pontifical Regional Seminary of Apulia “Pius XI” in Molfetta, and completed his studies at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, where he obtained a licentiate and a doctorate in sacred theology. He was ordained a priest on 8 September 1971. 

He taught theology in various institutes and then ecclesiology at the Pontifical Lateran University until he was appointed Bishop of Oria on July 25, 1998. In 2001, he served as Special Secretary of the Tenth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. On 1 October 2004, he was appointed Bishop of Albano. He served as President of the Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Proclamation and Catechesis of the Italian Episcopal Conference, and was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 31 January 2009. On 13 April 2013 he was named secretary of the “Council of Cardinals” to assist the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in governing the universal Church. On 4 November 2013 he was appointed Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Territorial Abbey of Santa Maria in Grottafrerrata, Italy, and on 4 April 2016, Papal Delegate for the Italian Basilian Order of Grottaferrata.

On 15 Octoner 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, now titled Dicastery for the Causes of the Saints. He elevated him to cardinal, with the title of Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Domnica, on 28 Novermber. He is a member of the Dicastery for Communication, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Ernesto Simoni Troshani was born on 18 October 1928, in Troshani, Albania. At the age of 10, he entered the College of the Franciscans in Troshani, beginning formation studies for the priesthood. In 1948, at the height of persecution under the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, the Franciscan college was turned into a place of torture for prisoners. The religious brothers were all executed and the novices expelled. He was 20 years old. The regime sent him to teach in a remote village in the mountains, and here he began his missionary work and evangelization. After two years of hard military service (1953-55), he finished his theology studies in secret, and on 7 April 1956 he was ordained a priest in Scutari. At the Bishop's request he was incardinated into the diocese, despite being Franciscan at heart. 

On 24 December 1963, after Christmas Mass, he was arrested and imprisoned in Scutari, placed in solitary confinement and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to 25 years of hard labor. In prison he became the spiritual father of the prisoners. On 22 May 1973 he was again sentenced to death as the alleged instigator of a revolt, but the the sentence was not carried out due to the favorable testimony of his prison guards. He remained in prison for 18 years, 12 of which were spent in the mines. He was freed in 1981, but, as a Catholic priest, still considered an enemy of the people and forced to work in the the Scutari sewers. He exercised his priesthood in secret until the fall the the regime in 1990. Since then he has continued to serve as a humble priest, in many villages, sparing no effort to reconcile many people in dispute and to share his testimony. 

In extraordinary recognition of his service, Pope Francis created Father Simoni a cardinal on 19 November 2016, with the title of Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria della Scala, dispensing him from the obligation of episcopal consecration for cardinals. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Beniamino Stella was born in Pieve di Soligo, Italy, on 8 August 1941. He is the second of twelve children. After studying in the diocesan seminary, he moved to Rome and earned licences in philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest on 19 March 1966, by his own uncle who was Archbishop of L'Aquila. In October 1966 he was called to study at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. At the Academy he earned a degree in canon law and a doctorate in international law, especially dedicating himself to the study of religious freedom in the documents of the United Nations. In 1970 he was sent to the Apostolic Nunciature of Santo Domingo, and then to the Pontifical Representation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (at the time Zaire). He was then transferred to Rome where he worked at the Council for the Public Affairs for the Church (today the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State). Subsequently he served as the chargé d'affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature in Malta. In 1983 he began again working at the Council for the Public Affairs for the Church, especially concentrating on Latin America. He received his episcopal ordination on 5 September 1987, subsequent to his appointment as titular Bishop of Midila and as Apostolic Nuncio to Congo-Brazzaville and to Chad, with the dignity of archbishop. Then in December 1992 he was sent as Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba, where he welcomed John Paul II in 1998. One year later he was transferred to Colombia. On 13 October 2007 Benedict XVI appointed him President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. He remained in this position until Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy in September 2013. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Cardinal Silvano M. Tomasi was born 12 October 1940 in Casoni de Mussolente, Italy. He was educated in Italy and in the USA, where he studied theology and was ordained a priest on 31 May 1965 in the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles – Scalabrinians. He obtained a bachelor's degree in social sciences and a doctorate in sociology at Fordham University in New York, and was an assistant professor of sociology at the City University of New York and at the New School for Social Research (1970-1974). As founding director of the Center for Migration Studies, Inc., he established and edited the journal “International Migration Review,” and served as Superior Provincial of his Congregation. From 1983 to 1987 he served as first director of the Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees (PCMR) of the US Episcopal Conference. From 1989 to 1996 he served as secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. On 27 June 1996 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Cercina and Apostolic Nuncio in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Apostolic delegate in Djibouti and Observer at the African Union. On 24 April 1999 he was appointed Archbishop of the titular See of Asolo and on 23 December 2000 was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Djibouti. On 10 June 2003 he was appointed Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva and Permanent Observer to the World Trade Organization, a role he fulfilled until 13 February 2016. On 9 April 2016 Pope Francis appointed him a member of the then Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, now the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig was born in Unterems, Switzerland, on Feb. 3, 1947 and ordained to the priesthood on April 11, 1974. He received his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University and was incardinated in the diocese of Sion, Switzerland. Pope John Paul II appointed him a member of the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1978, as secretary of the apostolic nunciature, serving in Uganda, South Korea, Mongolia and Bangladesh. As Apostolic Nuncio, he has served in Burundi (1996-2000), to Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Bahamas (2000-2004) and from 2001 also to Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Suriname and Saint Kitts and Nevis; South Korea and Mongolia (2004-2008); to the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway, 2008-2012); to Argentina (2012-2017); to Italy and San Marino, the first non-Italian to hold the post (2017-).

Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò was born on 3 February 1938 in Macerata Feltria, Italy. He was ordained a priest on 18 March 1962 and holds a licence in philosophy and theology and a doctorate in canon law. He served at the Apostolic Nunciatures in Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Great Britain and in the Second Section of the Secretariat of State. He received episcopal ordination on 6 October 1985 subsequent to his appointment as titular Archbishop of Eclano and Apostolic Nuncio in Papua New Guinea and First Nuncio in the Solomon Islands. He was later appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and Mali as well as Apostolic Delegate in Mauritania, then later in the Arabian Peninsula. In 1997 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Lebanon and Kuwait. In 2001 he was appointed Secretary of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. He has been President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People since 2009. Having reached 80 years of age, he is no longer an elector.

Archbishop Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, L.C., was born in Salamanca, Spain, on 1 March 1945. On 25 December 1965 he gave his religious vows in the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ and was ordained a priest on 26 November 1969.

He obtained a licentiate in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a diploma from the Archivist School at the Vatican Secret Archives.

On 1 August 1972, he began his service at the Holy See in the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; in April 1984, he was transferred to the Pontifical Council for the Laity; in June 2004, he was appointed head of office of the Holy See’s Internet Office; and finally, on 10 January 2008, he was appointed director of the Telecommunications Directorate of Vatican City State.

On 30 August 2013, he was appointed secretary general of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and on 15 October of the same year, he was elevated to the dignity of bishop and assigned the titular episcopal see of Villamagna in Proconsulari.

On 29 September 2020, he was appointed member of the Commission for Confidential Matters.

On 8 September 2021, the Holy Father appointed him president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, at the same time conferring to him the personal title of archbishop.
 

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Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung sik was born in 1951 and ordained a priest for the diocese of Daejeon, becoming a coadjutor in the same diocese in 2003, and two years later took over its leadership. He headed the Peace Committee of the Korean Bishops’ Conference and visited North Korea four times, keeping the prayer and hope for peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula in his heart.

In August 2014, Bishop Lazarus You Heung-sik welcomed the Holy Father Francis to the diocese of Daejeon on the occasion of the Sixth Asian Youth Day.

In October 2018, he participated – at the behest of the Pope - in the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Youth.

Appointed on 11June 2021 by Pope Francis as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he was conferred at the same time the title of archbishop-bishop emeritus of Daejeon.

On 11 December 2021, he was chosen as a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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Cardinal Mario Zenari, born 5 January 1946 in Rosegaferro di Villafranca, Italy, was ordained priest on 5 July 1970. Entered Holy See's diplomatic service in 1980 and served in Pontifical Representations in Senegal, Liberia, Colombia, Germany and Romania. On 7 February 1994, he was appointed counsellor of the Nunciature. On 12 July 1999, Pope John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Nuncio in Côte d'Ivoire and in Niger, as Archbishop with titular See of Zuglio, and on 24 July appointed him Apostolic Nuncio in Burkina Faso. He received episcopal ordination 25 September 1999. 10 May 2004, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka and then Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, by Pope Benedict XVI on 30 December 2008.