Average voting age of cardinals 72
Most senior Cardinal Walter Kasper, youngest Thottunkal
08 March, 15:47
(ANSA)- Vatican City, March 8 - The average age of the 115
cardinals set to vote in the conclave to elect the next pope is
72, more than half are from European countries, they come from
five continents, many were chosen by now-Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI and 28 are Italian.
AVERAGE AGE 71-72-YEARS OLD: Eight octogenarians are among
the cardinals including those who have already had their
birthdays and those who will in the course of the year. The
cut-off age for electors is 80 years old, calculated according
to when Benedict shocked the world by stepping down on February
28.MOST SENIOR KASPER, YOUNGEST THOTTUNKAL: The oldest of the voting cardinals is the German Walter Kasper who turned 80 on March 5, before the conclave kick-off, but after the beginning of the Sede Vacante (Vacant Seat), making him eligible to vote.
Also to hit the 80-year mark in March, Severino Poletto and Juan Sandoval Iniguez. The youngest of the cardinals is Indian Baselio Cleemis Thottunkal, who will turn 54 in June. Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle will turn 56 in June and also under 60 are two German and one Dutch cardinal.
MORE THAN HALF EUROPEAN: Some 60 cardinals representing the old world are among the voters while 19 are from Latin America, 14 from North America and Canada, 11 Africa and 10 Asia.
From the Pacific, Australian George Pell.
ITALY MOST REPRESENTED, FOLLOWED BY UNITED STATES: With 28 voting cardinals, Italy has the highest number of representatives. The US has the second most with 11 electors and Germany third with six.
Spanish and Brazilian cardinals make up five per country of the clergy on their way to the Sistine Chapel. 67 CHOSEN BY BENEDICT: The majority of the cardinals, 58%, were ordained by Benedict XVI.
The other 48 by John Paul II. There are two cardinals who were ordained by Paul VI, but who are not eligible to vote given their age.
19 RELIGIOUS ORDERS: The most represented congregations are Salesians and Franciscans, with four cardinals each in the conclave. Salesians of Don Bosco include Tarcisio Bertone, Angelo Amato, Raffaele Farina and from Honduras, Oscar Maradiaga. From the Franciscan order, Brasilian Claudio Hummes, Spaniard Carlos Amigo Vallejo and South African Wilfrid Fox Napier and American Sean Patrick O'Malley. Two Jesuits, two Domenicans, a cardinal from the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorist), a Vincentian, Sulpician, member of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, a Scalabrinian, Mariamite Maronite and a cardinal from the Fathers of Schoenstatt order are among the voters.
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