VATICAN CITY, OCT. 21, 2003 (Zenit.org).- In addition to the 30 new cardinals installed by John Paul II, there is one he named “in pectore” — secretly — who will not take part in a conclave unless his name is revealed.
The College of Cardinals now is made up of 194 cardinals, including 135 under age 80 who could vote in a conclave for a new pope.
All current elector cardinals were installed in one of nine consistories convoked by John Paull II during his 25-year pontificate, with the exception of five, who received their cardinal’s hat from Paul VI. Among cardinals over age 80, 13 were created by Paul VI, one by John XXIII, the rest by John Paul II.
Among elector cardinals, 66 are from Europe, 14 from North America, 24 from Latin America, 13 from Africa, five from Oceania. Elector cardinals come from 58 countries; as a body the whole College of Cardinals proceeds from 68 countries.
If a conclave were called tomorrow, the countries most represented would be: Italy with 23 cardinals; the United States with 11; Spain, Brazil and Germany with six each; Poland and France with five each; Mexico and India with four each; and Colombia, Canada and Australia with three each.
Only five non-Italian cardinals took part in the conclave that elected Pius VII in 1800. There were 51 in 1963, when Paul VI was elected, and 88 in 1978, when Karol Wojtyla was elected. Currently there are 112.
Countries with two elector cardinals include Chile, Belgium, Slovakia, Portugal, the Ukraine, Great Britain, Hungary, the Philippines, Japan and Nigeria.
Countries with one elector cardinal each include: Argentina, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Syria, Angola, Cameroon, Mozambique, Congo, Uganda, Madagascar, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Sudan, Ghana, Samoa and New Zealand.
Cardinals who participated in the 1978 conclave that elected John Paul II number 111. Of these, 55 are from Europe, 19 from Latin America, 12 from the North America, 13 from Asia and Oceania, and 12 from Africa. European cardinals constituted, and still constitute, 49%; Latin Americans have increased to 18% from 17%; those from Asia and Oceania to 13% from 12%; and Africans to 11% from 10%. North Americans have decreased from 11% to 10%.
