The College of Cardinals closes the year 2023 with 11 cardinals who will not be able to vote in the event of a conclave because they are over the age of 80.
As of late December, this list includes the two most recent additions: Cardinal Zerbo and Cardinal Cipriani.
Zerbo was created a cardinal in the 2017 consistory, becoming the first ever to be born in the West African country of Mali. He was also a key figure in the dialogue for peace during his country's civil war, which broke out in 2012 and officially ended in 2015, although political tensions have not ceased.
On the other hand, there is the Peruvian Cardinal Cipriani, archbishop emeritus of Lima and a member of Opus Dei, who was created cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. This is how he remembered the final days of the Polish pope.
CARD. JUAN LUIS CIPRIANI
Archbishop Emeritus of Lima, Peru
I remember the Pope when, in those last moments, he was practically babbling from the window. I was able to see him at the hospital a few days before and then when I came here, now seeing that crowd in front of the coffin of that holy man is another powerful moment.
As a Cardinal, Cipriani helped study the economic problems of the Holy See. He also participated in two conclaves: that of 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI, and that of 2013, which elected Pope Francis.
With the departure of these two cardinals as electors, the College of Cardinals has decreased the number of electors to 132. In 2024, there will be 13 more cardinals who will turn 80 years old.
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