10 Americans will vote on Pope Francis' successor. Here's who.
Following Pope Francis' death on April 21, voting members of the College of Cardinals will gather to determine a replacement.
The voting members, known as cardinal electors, are tasking with voting in a successor when the current pope dies or resigns, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Only 135 cardinals out of a group of 252 bishops and Vatican officials have the ability to vote, according to the Holy See Press Office. And only 10 of those cardinal electors are American.
Here's what to know about the Americans tasked with assisting in the search for a new pope.
What's a cardinal elector?
A cardinal elector is a voting member of the College of Cardinals, the church's most senior officials. The group, compromised of bishops and Vatican officials from all over the world, are hand-picked by the pope to serve the Catholic Church.
Only cardinal electors under the age of 80 get to vote in a conclave.
Usually within 15 to 20 days after the papacy is vacated, cardinal electors meet in the Sistine Chapel and begin the strictly secretive voting process. Throughout the conclave, cardinals are under an oath of silence and forbidden contact with the outside world.
Ten Americans who currently serve as cardinal electors
Ten Americans are currently listed as cardinal electors by the Holy See Press Office. A list of their names, ages and birth state can be found below:
- Raymond Leo Burke, 76 (Wisconsin)
- Blase Joseph Cupich, 76 (Nebraska)
- Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, 75 (Ohio)
- Timothy Michael Dolan, 75 (Missouri)
- Kevin Joseph Farrell, 77 (born in Ireland, he later held positions in the U.S., including in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Texas)
- Wilton Daniel Gregory, 77 (Illinois)
- James Michael Harvey, 75 (Wisconsin)
- Robert Walter McElroy, 71 (California)
- Robert Francis Prevost, 69 (Illinois)
- Joseph William Tobin, 72 (Michigan)
Contributing: Savannah Kuchar, Paste BN