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Conclave

The cardinal electors, by the numbers

The data on the men who will choose the pope

Brendan Hodge
Apr 24, 2025
∙ Paid

Of the 135 eligible cardinal electors in the Church today, 133 are expected to enter the Sistine Chapel in early May to elect a new pope, while two have said they are unlikely to attend due to illness.

Cardinals prepare for the 2013 papal conclave. Credit: Alamy.

But who are those men, and how will this conclave be different — and similar — to those which…

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