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Following the passing of Pope Francis, preparations for selecting the next pope are now underway. It has been announced that the papal conclave will officially begin on 7 May.
The College of Cardinals, comprising members from around the globe, will include several notably young electors. Of the 135 cardinals eligible to vote (those aged 80 and under), 15 are under the age of 60.
Historically, the ages of cardinal-electors have varied. One of the youngest ever was Cardinal Alfonso Gesualdo di Conza, who participated in the 1565–1566 conclave at just 25 years old.
In more recent history, during the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, was the youngest participant at 53. In the upcoming conclave, six cardinals are the same age or younger.
The five youngest cardinals leading dioceses or serving in Vatican roles hail from Australia, Mongolia, Portugal, Canada, and the Roman Curia. Two of them represent Eastern Catholic Churches, while three were made cardinals in the most recent consistory before the conclave.
Here are the five youngest cardinals eligible to elect the next pope:
Born on 13 February 1980, in Ternopil, Ukraine, Cardinal Bychok felt a call to the priesthood at age 15. He joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) in 1997. His ministry has included missionary work in Russia, parish leadership in Ukraine, and serving Ukrainian communities in the U.S. In January 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as the eparchial bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul in Melbourne, Australia. Consecrated in June 2020, Bychok has focused on strengthening the Ukrainian diaspora and engaging youth in the Church. He was made a cardinal on 7 December 2024, becoming the youngest member of the College of Cardinals.
Born on 7 June 1974, in Cuneo, Italy, Cardinal Marengo has been a Consolata missionary in Mongolia since 2003. Ordained a priest in 2001, he was appointed apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar in 2020. Pope Francis created him a cardinal on 27 August 2022, making him the youngest cardinal at the time. Fluent in Mongolian, Italian, and English, he welcomed Pope Francis to Mongolia in 2023 during the first-ever papal visit to the country.
Born on 12 December 1973, Cardinal Aguiar is the bishop of Setúbal, Portugal. Prior to entering the priesthood, he briefly served in local government under Portugal’s Socialist Party. He was ordained in 2001 and later held positions including vicar general and communications director for the Diocese of Porto. As auxiliary bishop of Lisbon, he gained recognition for leading the organization of World Youth Day 2023, which drew over 1.5 million attendees. Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in late 2023.
Born on 11 August 1973, in Kerala, India, Cardinal Koovakad is a Syro-Malabar archbishop and seasoned Vatican diplomat. His assignments included posts in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. In 2020, he returned to the Vatican to work in the Secretariat of State and later became responsible for coordinating Pope Francis’ international trips from 2021 to 2024. He was appointed cardinal in December 2024 and currently serves as prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Born on 30 June 1971, in Montreal to Italian immigrant parents, Cardinal Francis “Frank” Leo is the archbishop of Toronto. Ordained in 1996, he earned a doctorate in systematic theology with a focus on Mariology from the University of Dayton. From 2015 to 2021, he served as general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. He became archbishop of Toronto in 2023, overseeing a Catholic population of around 2 million. Pope Francis created him cardinal in December 2024.
