One of the most important Catholic Church officials responsible for choosing a new pope after Pope Francis passes away is a 45-year-old Australian cardinal.
Ukrainian-born Mykola Bychok, a bishop in Melbourne, was elevated to the position of cardinal by Francis last year.
He will be part of a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths by the cardinals electing a successor.
Based on the latest data from the Vatican, there were 136 cardinals who are under 80 years old and therefore eligible to participate in the voting process. However, this number might change before the conclave officially commences.
Those over 80 can’t vote but can participate in pre-conclave meetings, known as general congregations, in which church problems are discussed.
During meetings in 2013, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would later become Pope Francis, emphasized the church’s duty to reach out to those who are suffering on the margins of society. This impromptu speech played a significant role in his election as pope.
The process of electing a new pope involves the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread after they’re counted, and then burning them to produce either the white or black smoke to signal if there’s a new leader for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
– With Associated Press
