The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Catholic Church. Historically, they were the clergy of the city of Rome: they were the priests serving the Pope as the Bishop of Rome (hence, they were assigned duties in parishes of the city).

Today the only roles of the College are electing a new Pope when the see is vacant (in the Conclave) and advising the Roman Pontiff about Church matters - the College has no ruling power. The prefects of Vatican Congregations are always Cardinals.

While it is not required, it has been the norm, not violated since the election of Urban VI in 1378, that the Pope should be elected from the ranks of the Cardinals.

Since January 1, 1971, the cardinals over age 80 have not had a vote in the election of popes, under the terms of Pope Paul VI's motu proprio Ingravescentam Aetatem.

Members of the College of Cardinals

Cardinals are shown in order of seniority by date of appointment. The list is correct as of January 2004. Cardinals aged 80 or over will not be eligible to take part in the Conclave which elects the next Pope.

  • 12/15/1958: Franz König (Austria) - Aged 98
  • 4/28/1969: Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (Korea) - Aged 81
  • 4/28/1969: Eugęnio de Araújo Sales (Brazil) - Aged 83
  • 4/28/1969: Johannes Willebrands (Netherlands) - Aged 94
  • 3/5/1973: Luis Aponte Martinez (Puerto Rico) - Aged 81
  • 3/5/1973: Paulo Evaristo Arns (Brazil) - Aged 82
  • 3/5/1973: Marcelo González Martín (Spain) - Aged 85
  • 3/5/1973: Salvatore Pappalardo (Italy) - Aged 85
  • 3/5/1973: Raúl Francisco Primatesta (Argentina) - Aged 84
  • 3/5/1973: Pio Taofinu'u (Samoa) - Aged 80
  • 5/24/1976: Juan Carlos Aramburu (Argentina) - Aged 91
  • 5/24/1976: Corrado Bafile (Italy) - Aged 100
  • 5/24/1976: William Wakefield Baum (United States) - Aged 77
  • 5/24/1976: Aloísio Lorscheider (Brazil) - Aged 79
  • 5/24/1976: Opilio Rossi (Italy) - Aged 93
  • 5/24/1976: Jaime Lachica Sin (Philippines) - Aged 75
  • 5/24/1976: Hyacinthe Thiandoum (Senegal) - Aged 82
  • 6/27/1977: Bernardin Gantin (Benin) - Aged 81
  • 6/27/1977: Joseph Ratzinger (Germany) - Aged 76
  • 6/30/1979: Giuseppe Caprio (Italy) - Aged 89
  • 6/30/1979: Marco Cé (Italy) - Aged 78*
  • 6/30/1979: Ernesto Corripio Ahumada (Mexico) - Aged 84
  • 6/30/1979: Roger Etchegaray (France) - Aged 81
  • 6/30/1979: Franciszek Macharski (Poland) - Aged 76
  • 2/2/1983: Godfried Danneels (Belgium) - Aged 70
  • 2/2/1983: Alexandre do Nascimento (Angola) - Aged 78
  • 2/2/1983: Józef Glemp (Poland) - Aged 74
  • 2/2/1983: Michael Michae Kitbunchu (Thailand) - Aged 74
  • 2/2/1983: Alfonso López Trujillo (Colombia) - Aged 68
  • 2/2/1983: Jean-Marie Lustiger (France) - Aged 77
  • 2/2/1983: Carlo Maria Martini (Italy) - Aged 76
  • 2/2/1983: Joachim Meisner (Germany) - Aged 70
  • 2/2/1983: Thomas Stafford Williams (New Zealand) - Aged 73
  • 5/25/1985: Francis Arinze (Nigeria) - Aged 71
  • 5/25/1985: Giacomo Biffi (Italy) - Aged 75
  • 5/25/1985: Rosalio José Castillo Lara (Venezuela) - Aged 81
  • 5/25/1985: Andrzej Maria Deskur (Poland) - Aged 79
  • 5/25/1985: Juan Francisco Fresno Larrain (Chile) - Aged 89
  • 5/25/1985: Édouard Gagnon (Canada) - Aged 85
  • 5/25/1985: Henryk Roman Gulbinowicz (Poland) - Aged 75
  • 5/25/1985: Antonio Innocenti (Italy) - Aged 88
  • 5/25/1985: D. Simon Lourdusamy (India) - Aged 79
  • 5/25/1985: Paul Augustin Mayer (Germany) - Aged 92
  • 5/25/1985: Miguel Obando Bravo (Nicaragua) - Aged 77
  • 5/25/1985: Silvano Piovanelli (Italy) - Aged 79
  • 5/25/1985: Paul Poupard (France) - Aged 73
  • 5/25/1985: Adrianus Johannes Simonis (Netherlands) - Aged 72
  • 5/25/1985: Alfons Maria Stickler (Austria) - Aged 93
  • 5/25/1985: Angel Suquía Goicoechea (Spain) - Aged 87
  • 5/25/1985: Jozef Tomko (Slovakia) - Aged 79
  • 5/25/1985: Paulos Tzadua (Ethiopia) - Aged 82
  • 5/25/1985: Louis-Albert Vachon (Canada) - Aged 91
  • 5/25/1985: Ricardo J. Vidal (Philippines) - Aged 72
  • 5/25/1985: Friedrich Wetter (Germany) - Aged 75
  • 6/28/1988: Giovanni Canestri (Italy) - Aged 85
  • 6/28/1988: Edward Bede Clancy (Australia) - Aged 80
  • 6/28/1988: Alexandre José Maria dos Santos (Mozambique) - Aged 79
  • 6/28/1988: José Freire Falcăo (Brazil) - Aged 78
  • 6/28/1988: Angelo Felici (Italy) - Aged 84
  • 6/28/1988: Michele Giordano (Italy) - Aged 73
  • 6/28/1988: James Aloysius Hickey (USA) - Aged 83
  • 6/28/1988: Antonio María Javierre Ortas (Spain) - Aged 82
  • 6/28/1988: Jean Margéot (Mauritius) - Aged 87
  • 6/28/1988: Eduardo Martínez Somalo (Spain) - Aged 76
  • 6/28/1988: László Paskai (Hungary) - Aged 76
  • 6/28/1988: Simon Ignatius Pimenta (India) - Aged 83
  • 6/28/1988: Achille Silvestrini (Italy) - Aged 80
  • 6/28/1988: Edmund Casimir Szoka (USA) - Aged 76
  • 6/28/1988: Christian Wiyghan Tumi (Cameroon) - Aged 73
  • 6/28/1991: Fiorenzo Angelini (Italy) - Aged 87
  • 6/28/1991: Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (USA) - Aged 80
  • 6/28/1991: Edward Idris Cassidy (Australia) - Aged 79
  • 6/28/1991: Cahal Brendan Daly (Ireland) - Aged 86
  • 6/28/1991: Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi (Congo) - Aged 73
  • 6/28/1991: Ján Chryzostom Korec (Slovakia) - Aged 79
  • 6/28/1991: Pio Laghi (Italy) - Aged 81
  • 6/28/1991: Nicolás de Jesús López Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) - Aged 67
  • 6/28/1991: Roger Michael Mahony (USA) - Aged 67
  • 6/28/1991: Virgilio Noč (Italy) - Aged 81
  • 6/28/1991: Camillo Ruini (Italy) - Aged 72
  • 6/28/1991: Giovanni Saldarini (Italy) - Aged 79
  • 6/28/1991: José T. Sánchez (Philippines) - Aged 83
  • 6/28/1991: Henri Schwery (Switzerland) - Aged 71
  • 6/28/1991: Angelo Sodano (Italy) - Aged 76
  • 6/28/1991: Georg Maximilian Sterzinsky (Germany) - Aged 67
  • 2/28/1994: Gilberto Agustoni (Switzerland) - Aged 81
  • 2/28/1994: Ricardo María Carles Gordó (Spain) - Aged 77
  • 2/28/1994: Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja (Indonesia) - Aged 69
  • 2/28/1994: Carlo Furno (Italy) - Aged 82
  • 2/28/1994: William Henry Keeler (USA) - Aged 72
  • 2/28/1994: Adam Joseph Maida (USA) - Aged 73
  • 2/28/1994: Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino (Cuba) - Aged 67
  • 2/28/1994: Paul Joseph Pham Děnh Tung (Vietnam) - Aged 84
  • 2/28/1994: Luigi Poggi (Italy) - Aged 86
  • 2/28/1994: Vinco Puljic (Bosnia) - Aged 58
  • 2/28/1994: Armand Gaétan Razafindratandra (Madagascar) - Aged 78
  • 2/28/1994: Juan Sandoval Íńiguez (Mexico) - Aged 70
  • 2/28/1994: Jan Pieter Schotte (Belgium) - Aged 75
  • 2/28/1994: Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir (Lebanon) - Aged 83
  • 2/28/1994: Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi (Japan) - Aged 75
  • 2/28/1994: Adolfo Antonio Suárez Rivera (Mexico) - Aged 77
  • 2/28/1994: Kazimierz Swiatek (Belarus) - Aged 89
  • 2/28/1994: Ersilio Tonini (Italy) - Aged 89
  • 2/28/1994: Jean-Claude Turcotte (Canada) - Aged 67
  • 2/28/1994: Miloslav Vlk (Czech Republic) - Aged 71
  • 2/28/1994: Emmanuel Wamala (Uganda) - Aged 77
  • 2/21/1998: Aloysius Matthew Ambrozic (Canada) - Aged 73
  • 2/21/1998: Lorenzo Antonetti (Italy) - Aged 81
  • 2/21/1998: Serafim Fernandes de Araújo (Brazil) - Aged 79
  • 2/21/1998: Dario Castrillón Hoyos (Colombia) - Aged 74
  • 2/21/1998: Giovanni Cheli (Italy) - Aged 85
  • 2/21/1998: Salvatore De Giorgi (Italy) - Aged 73
  • 2/21/1998: Francis Eugene George (USA) - Aged 66
  • 2/21/1998: Marian Jaworski (Ukraine) - Aged 77
  • 2/21/1998: Adam Kozlowiecki (Poland) - Aged 92
  • 2/21/1998: Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez (Chile) - Aged 77
  • 2/21/1998: Dino Monduzzi (Italy) - Aged 81
  • 2/21/1998: Polycarp Pengo (Tanzania) - Aged 59
  • 2/21/1998: Janis Pujats (Latvia) - Aged 73
  • 2/21/1998: Norberto Rivera Carrera (Mexico) - Aged 61
  • 2/21/1998: Antonio María Rouco Varela (Spain) - Aged 67
  • 2/21/1998: Christoph Schönborn (Austria) - Aged 58
  • 2/21/1998: Paul Shan Kui-hsi (Taiwan) - Aged 80
  • 2/21/1998: James Francis Stafford (USA) - Aged 71
  • 2/21/1998: Dionigi Tettamanzi (Italy) - Aged 69
  • 2/21/2001: Geraldo Majella Agnelo (Brazil) - Aged 70
  • 2/21/2001: Bernard Agré (Ivory Coast) - Aged 77
  • 2/21/2001: Francisco Álvarez Martínez (Spain) - Aged 78
  • 2/21/2001: Audrys Juozas Backis (Lithuania) - Aged 66
  • 2/21/2001: Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Argentina) - Aged 67
  • 2/21/2001: Agostino Cacciavillan (Italy) - Aged 77
  • 2/21/2001: Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne (Peru) - Aged 60
  • 2/21/2001: Desmond Connell (Ireland) - Aged 77
  • 2/21/2001: Ignace Moussa I Daoud (Syria) - Aged 73
  • 2/21/2001: Ivan Dias (India) - Aged 67
  • 2/21/2001: Avery Dulles (USA) - Aged 85
  • 2/21/2001: Edward Michael Egan (USA) - Aged 71
  • 2/21/2001: Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa (Chile) - Aged 70
  • 2/21/2001: Stephanos II (Egypt) - Aged 83
  • 2/21/2001: Antonio José González Zumárraga (Ecuador) - Aged 78
  • 2/21/2001: Zenon Grocholewski (Poland) - Aged 64
  • 2/21/2001: Jean Honoré (France) - Aged 83
  • 2/21/2001: Cláudio Hummes (Brazil) - Aged 69
  • 2/21/2001: Lubomyr Husar (Ukraine) - Aged 70
  • 2/21/2001: Walter Kasper (Germany) - Aged 70
  • 2/21/2001: Karl Lehmann (Germany) - Aged 67
  • 2/21/2001: Theodore Edgar McCarrick (USA) - Aged 73
  • 2/21/2001: Jorge María Mejía (Argentina) - Aged 80
  • 2/21/2001: Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (England) - Aged 71
  • 2/21/2001: Wilfrid Fox Napier (South Africa) - Aged 62
  • 2/21/2001: Severino Poletto (Italy) - Aged 70
  • 2/21/2001: José da Cruz Policarpo (Portugal) - Aged 67
  • 2/21/2001: Mario Francesco Pompedda (Italy) - Aged 74
  • 2/21/2001: Giovanni Battista Re (Italy) - Aged 69
  • 2/21/2001: Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga (Honduras) - Aged 61
  • 2/21/2001: Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (Colombia) - Aged 71
  • 2/21/2001: José Saraiva Martins (Portugal) - Aged 72
  • 2/21/2001: Leo Scheffczyk (Germany) - Aged 83
  • 2/21/2001: Sergio Sebastiani (Italy) - Aged 72
  • 2/21/2001: Crescenzio Sepe (Italy) - Aged 60*
  • 2/21/2001: Julio Terrazas Sandoval (Bolivia) - Aged 67
  • 2/21/2001: Roberto Tucci (Italy) - Aged 82
  • 2/21/2001: Varkey Vithayathil (India) - Aged 76
  • 10/21/2003: Carlos Amigo Vallejo (Spain) - Aged 69
  • 10/21/2003: Ennio Antonelli (Italy) - Aged 67
  • 10/21/2003: Philippe Barbarin (France) - Aged 53
  • 10/21/2003: Tarcisio Bertone (Italy) - Aged 69
  • 10/21/2003: Josip Bozanic (Croatia) - Aged 54
  • 10/21/2003: George Marie Martin Cottier (Switzerland) - Aged 81
  • 10/21/2003: Peter Erdö (Hungary) - Aged 51
  • 10/21/2003: Stephen Fumio Hamao (Japan) - Aged 73
  • 10/21/2003: Julian Herranz (Spain) - Aged 73
  • 10/21/2003: Gustaaf Joos (Belgium) - Aged 80
  • 10/21/2003: Javier Lozano Barragán (Mexico) - Aged 70
  • 10/21/2003: Francesco Marchisano (Italy) - Aged 74
  • 10/21/2003: Renato Raffaele Martino (Italy) - Aged 71
  • 10/21/2003: Stanislas Nagy (Poland) - Aged 82
  • 10/21/2003: Attilio Nicora (Italy) - Aged 66
  • 10/21/2003: Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien (Scotland) - Aged 65
  • 10/21/2003: Anthony Olubumni Okogie (Nigeria) - Aged 67
  • 10/21/2003: Marc Ouellet (Canada) - Aged 59
  • 10/21/2003: Bernard Panafieu (France) - Aged 72
  • 10/21/2003: George Pell (Australia) - Aged 62
  • 10/21/2003: Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Mán (Vietnam) - Aged 69
  • 10/21/2003: Rodolfo Quezada Toruńo (Guatemala) - Aged 71
  • 10/21/2003: Justin Francis Rigali (USA) - Aged 68
  • 10/21/2003: Eusebio Oscar Scheid (Brazil) - Aged 71
  • 10/21/2003: Angelo Scola (Italy) - Aged 62
  • 10/21/2003: Tomas Spidlik (Czech Republic) - Aged 84
  • 10/21/2003: Jean-Louis Tauran (France) - Aged 60
  • 10/21/2003: Telesphore Placidus Toppo (India) - Aged 64
  • 10/21/2003: Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghana) - Aged 55
  • 10/21/2003: Gabriel Zubeir Wako (Sudan) - Aged 62