Cardinal Beniamino Stella has turned 80 years old, making him ineligible to vote in the next Conclave.
Cardinal Stella was Prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy from 2013-2021. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing the formation of priests and deacons who do not belong to any religious order.
As a Cardinal he participated in the Synod on the Amazon, where he commented on the possibility of establishing a new Catholic rite for the Amazon region.
CARDINAL BENIAMINO STELLA
Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy
“The Amazon is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual reality. There are hundreds of ethnicities, dozens of languages. Besides, within a rite there are liturgical, disciplinary, theological aspects; there is a lot to consider. I think it is necessary to analyze, think deeply and take a little time because different rites have their histories, spiritualities, and expectations.”
Cardinal Stella was a long-serving member of the Holy See's diplomatic corps, in which he was the Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba and Colombia.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 2007.
Now, 122 members of the College of Cardinals remain eligible to vote in the next Conclave.
JM
