Kenya to miss papal conclave as Cardinal Njue exceeds voting age limit of 80 years

Kenya will not participate in the election of a new pope by the College of Cardinals at the Vatican.

John Cardinal Njue, Kenya’s only cardinal, is now 81 years old, rendering him ineligible to vote.

According to Catholic Church rules, the maximum age for a cardinal to be eligible to vote in a papal election is 80 years.

This age limit, therefore, excludes the Kenyan cardinal from the conclave that will elect the next pope.

Cardinal Njue became the second Kenyan to be elevated to the rank of cardinal, appointed by the late Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

He followed the late Cardinal Maurice Otunga, who was appointed by Pope Paul VI in 1973 and passed away in 2003.

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Kenya is now the only country in Eastern Africa that will not take part in electing the new pope.

Cardinals from around the world will gather in Vatican City within the next two to three weeks to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who died early on Easter Monday from a stroke and heart failure.

According to Catholic tradition, cardinals are called to vote when a pope either dies or becomes incapacitated.

The election of a new pope begins 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death, in a process known as the conclave.

Among the African countries that will be represented in the voting are Tanzania, South Sudan, South Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana is among the leading candidates expected to succeed Pope Francis.

Africa has a total of 29 cardinals, of whom only 18 are eligible to vote. Europe has the highest number, with 114 cardinals, but only 53 of them are electors.

Asia has 37 cardinals, South America 32, and North America 28. Central America and the Oceania region have eight and four cardinal, respectively.

Globally, there are 252 cardinals, but only 153 are eligible to participate in electing the next pope.