VATICAN CITY (AP) — While there is no specific rule dictating how cardinals should vote for a new pope based on their nationality or region, understanding their geographic distribution can shed light on their priorities. As the conclave commences Wednesday to select a leader for the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, these factors are noteworthy.
The concerns of a cardinal leading the Vatican’s liturgy department may vary significantly from those of the archbishop of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Similarly, a cardinal overseeing a large European archdiocese with many priests will have different priorities compared to a Vatican ambassador in war-torn Syria or the archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua, facing governmental pressure on the church.
Currently, there are 135 cardinals under the age of 80 eligible to vote in the conclave, representing 71 different countries, making it the most geographically diverse conclave ever. However, due to health issues, two cardinals have informed the Holy See they will not attend, reducing the number participating in the Sistine Chapel to 133.
A two-thirds majority is needed to be elected pope, meaning that if the number of electors holds at 133, the winner must secure 89 votes.
The countries with the most electors are: Italy (17), United States (10), Brazil (7), France and Spain (5), Argentina, Canada, India, Poland and Portugal (4).
Here is a regional breakdown of the full 135 cardinal electors, according to Vatican statistics and following the Vatican’s geographic grouping.
Europe: 53. (An elector who says he’s skipping the conclave is from Spain, so the actual number of Europeans is expected to be 52.)
Asia (including the Middle East): 23
Africa: 18. (Another elector who says he’s skipping the conclave is from Kenya, so the number of Africans is expected to be 17.)
South America: 17
North America: 16 (of whom 10 are American, 4 are Canadian and 2 are Mexican)
Central America: 4
Oceania: 4 (1 each from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga)
