Cardinal electors in the 1978 papal conclaves explained

The papal conclaves of August 1978 and of October 1978 were respectively convened to elect a pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, to succeed Paul VI and John Paul I following their respective deaths on 6 August 1978 and on 28 September 1978. In accordance with the apostolic constitution Romano Pontifici eligendo, which governed the vacancy of the Holy See, only cardinals who had not passed their 80th birthday on the day on which the conclave began (in these cases, cardinals who were born on or after 25 August 1898 for the first conclave, and on or after 14 October 1898 for the second conclave) were eligible to participate.[1] Although not formal requirements, the cardinal electors invariably elected the pope from among their number and did so by secret ballot (Latin: per scrutinium).[1] Due to the brief duration between the conclaves, the respective lists of cardinal electors are nearly identical.

Of the 129 members of the Sacred College of Cardinals at the time of the beginning of the first conclave, there were 114 cardinal electors who were eligible to participate.[2] Three cardinal electors did not participate, decreasing the number in attendance to 111. Two cardinals, both cardinal electors, died in the time between the conclaves. Of the 126 members of the Sacred College of Cardinals at the time of the beginning of the second conclave, there were 111 cardinal electors who were eligible to participate;[3] all of whom were in attendance. The number of votes required to be elected pope with a two-thirds-plus-one supermajority in either conclave was .[1]

Of the 112 cardinal electors who attended at least one of the two conclaves, 5 were cardinal bishops, 92 were cardinal priests, and 15 were cardinal deacons; 3 had been created cardinals by Pope Pius XII, 8 by Pope John XXIII, and 101 by Pope Paul VI; 28 worked in the service of the Holy See (such as in the Roman Curia), 77 were in pastoral ministry outside Rome, and 10 had retired. The oldest cardinal elector in the conclaves was Joseph-Marie Trịnh Như Khuê, at the age of, and the youngest was Jaime Lachica Sin, at the age of . Another 15 cardinals were ineligible to participate in either conclave, for reasons of age.[2] [3]

The cardinal electors entered the Sistine Chapel to begin the first conclave on 25 August 1978. On 26 August, after four ballots over two days, they elected Cardinal Albino Luciani, Patriarch of Venice, who took the papal name John Paul I. After his death 33 days into his papacy, the cardinal electors again entered the Sistine Chapel to begin the second conclave on 14 October. On 16 October, after eight ballots over three days, they elected Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, Archbishop of Kraków, who took the papal name John Paul II.

Cardinal electors

The Sacred College of Cardinals is divided into three orders – cardinal bishops (CB), cardinal priests (CP) and cardinal deacons (CD) – with formal precedence in that sequence. This was the order in which the cardinal electors entered the conclave, took the oath and cast their ballots.[1] For cardinal bishops (except the Eastern Catholic patriarchs), the dean is first in precedence, followed by the vice-dean and then by the remainder in order of appointment as cardinal bishops. For cardinal bishops who are Eastern Catholic patriarchs, cardinal priests, and cardinal deacons, precedence is determined by the date of the consistory in which they were created cardinals and then by the order in which they appeared in the official announcement or bulletin.

Two of the cardinal electors in the 1978 conclaves were from the Eastern Catholic Churches: Stéphanos I Sidarouss (Coptic) and Joseph Parecattil (Syro-Malabar). In both conclaves, the senior cardinal bishop, the senior cardinal priest, the senior cardinal deacon and the junior cardinal deacon were, respectively, Jean Villot, Giuseppe Siri, Pericle Felici and Mario Luigi Ciappi. Villot was also the camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, in charge of administering the Holy See during its vacancy.[1]

The 112 cardinal electors in the table below are those who participated in at least one of the two conclaves. Two cardinals participated in only one: Albino Luciani, elected Pope John Paul I in the first conclave and whose death prompted the second conclave; and John Joseph Wright, who did not participate in the first conclave for health reasons owing to surgery.[4] Another two cardinal electors did not participate in the first conclave; both died before the second conclave began. The data below are as of 25 August 1978 or 14 October 1978, the respective dates on which the conclaves began. Age ranges are given for some cardinals in the case of any differences in age as at the beginning of the two conclaves. All cardinals are of the Latin Church unless otherwise stated. Cardinals belonging to institutes of consecrated life or to societies of apostolic life are indicated by the relevant post-nominal letters.

RankNameCountryBornOrderConsistoryOffice
1Jean VillotFrance
(age )
data-sort-value="1" CB
Paul VI
Secretary of State, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church and President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum
2Antonio SamorèItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="1" CB
Paul VI
Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church
3Francesco CarpinoItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="1" CB
Paul VI
Archbishop emeritus of Palermo
4Sebastiano BaggioItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="1" CB
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Bishops
5Egypt
(age )
data-sort-value="1" CB
Paul VI
Patriarch of Alexandria
(Coptic Catholic Church)
6Giuseppe SiriItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Pius XII
Archbishop of Genoa
7Stefan WyszyńskiPoland
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Pius XII
Archbishop of Gniezno and of Warsaw
8Canada
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Pius XII
Archbishop emeritus of Montreal
9José María Bueno y MonrealSpain
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Seville
10Franz KönigAustria
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Vienna and President of the Secretariat for Non-Believers
11Bernardus Johannes AlfrinkNetherlands
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop emeritus of Utrecht
12Laurean RugambwaTanzania
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam
13José Humberto Quintero ParraVenezuela
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Caracas
14Peru
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Lima
15Chile
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Santiago de Chile
16Leo-Jozef SuenensBelgium
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
John XXIII
Archbishop of Mechelen–Brussels
17Sri Lanka
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop emeritus of Colombo
18Maurice RoyCanada
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Quebec
19Owen McCannSouth Africa
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Cape Town
20Léon-Étienne DuvalAlgeria
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Algiers
21Ermenegildo FloritItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop emeritus of Florence
22Franjo ŠeperYugoslavia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
23Upper Volta
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Ouagadougou
24Agnelo RossiBrazil
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
25Giovanni ColomboItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Milan
26Gabriel-Marie GarroneFrance
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
27Egidio VagnozziItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
28Maximilien de FurstenbergBelgium
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
29Bolivia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Sucre
30John Joseph KrolUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Philadelphia
31John Patrick CodyUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Chicago
32Corrado UrsiItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Naples
33Alfred BengschEast Germany
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop-Bishop of Berlin
34Justinus DarmojuwonoIndonesia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Semarang
35Karol WojtyłaPoland
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Kraków
36Michele PellegrinoItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop emeritus of Turin
37France
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Lyon
38Alfredo Vicente SchererBrazil
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Porto Alegre
39Julio Rosales y RasPhilippines
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Cebu
40Gordon Joseph GrayUnited Kingdom
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
41Paolo BertoliItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Prefect emeritus of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints
42Joseph ParecattilIndia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Ernakulam and President of the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Oriental Canon Law
(Syro-Malabar Catholic Church)
43John Francis DeardenUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Detroit
44François MartyFrance
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Paris
45Canada
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Winnipeg
46Paul GouyonFrance
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Rennes
47Guatemala
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Guatemala
48Vicente Enrique y TarancónSpain
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Madrid
49Joseph MalulaZaire
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Kinshasa
50Ecuador
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Quito
51Antonio PomaItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Bologna
52John Joseph CarberryUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of St. Louis
53Terence James CookeUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of New York
54Stephen Kim Sou-hwanSouth Korea
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Seoul
55Eugênio de Araújo SalesBrazil
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro
56Joseph HöffnerWest Germany
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Cologne
57John Joseph WrightUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy
58Johannes WillebrandsNetherlands
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Utrecht and President of the Secretariat for Christian Unity
59Albino LucianiItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Patriarch of Venice
60António RibeiroPortugal
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Patriarch of Lisbon
61James Robert KnoxAustralia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship
62Avelar Brandão VilelaBrazil
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia
63Joseph CordeiroPakistan
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Karachi
64Aníbal Muñoz DuqueColombia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Bogotá
65Luis Aponte MartínezPuerto Rico

(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico
66Raúl Francisco PrimatestaArgentina
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Córdoba
67Salvatore PappalardoItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Palermo
68Marcelo González MartínSpain
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Toledo
69Louis-Jean GuyotFrance
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Toulouse
70Ugo PolettiItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Vicar General for Rome and Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint John Lateran
71Timothy ManningUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Los Angeles
72Maurice Michael OtungaKenya
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Nairobi
73José Salazar LópezMexico
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Guadalajara
74Humberto Sousa MedeirosUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Boston
75Brazil
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of São Paulo
76James Darcy FreemanAustralia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Sydney
77Narciso Jubany ArnauSpain
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Barcelona
78Hermann VolkWest Germany
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Bishop of Mainz
79Western Samoa
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Bishop of Samoa and Tokelau
80Octavio Antonio Beras RojasDominican Republic
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Santo Domingo
81Juan Carlos AramburuArgentina
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Buenos Aires
82Joseph-Marie Trịnh Như KhuêVietnam
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Hanoi
83Hyacinthe ThiandoumSenegal
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Dakar
84Emmanuel NsubugaUganda
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Kampala
85India
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Calcutta
86Jaime Lachica SinPhilippines
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Manila
87William Wakefield BaumUnited States
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Washington
88Brazil
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Fortaleza
89Reginald DelargeyNew Zealand
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Wellington
90László LékaiHungary
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Esztergom
91United Kingdom
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Westminster
92Madagascar
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Tananarive
93František TomášekCzechoslovakia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Prague
94Dominic Ignatius EkandemNigeria
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Bishop of Ikot Ekpene
95Giovanni BenelliItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Florence
96Joseph RatzingerWest Germany
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Paul VI
Archbishop of Munich and Freising
97Pericle FeliciItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and President of the Pontifical Commissions for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law and for the Interpretation of the Decrees of the Second Vatican Council (Protodeacon)
98Silvio OddiItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Pontifical Legate for the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
99Giuseppe PaupiniItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Major Penitentiary
100Mario Nasalli Rocca di CornelianoItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Prefect emeritus of the Apostolic Palaces
101Sergio GuerriItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Pro-President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
102Sergio PignedoliItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
President of the Secretariat for Non-Christians
103Umberto MozzoniArgentina
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
President of the Commission of Cardinals for the Pontifical Shrines of Pompeii and Loreto
104France
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches
105Pietro PalazziniItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Secretary emeritus of the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy and of the Commission of Cardinals for the Pontifical Shrines of Pompeii and Loreto
106Opilio RossiItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
President of the Pontifical Councils for the Laity and for the Family
107Giuseppe Maria SensiItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Apostolic Nuncio emeritus to Portugal
108Corrado BafileItaly
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints
109Joseph SchröfferWest Germany
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Secretary emeritus of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education
110Eduardo Francisco PironioArgentina
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Religious and Secular Institutes
111Bernardin GantinBenin
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
President of the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace and of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum
112Italy
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Pro-Theologian of the Pontifical Household

Not in attendance

RankNameCountryBornOrderConsistoryOfficeReason for absence
1Valerian GraciasIndia
(age )
data-sort-value="2" CP
Pius XII
Archbishop of BombayIll health; died on 11 September 1978, before the second conclave
2Bolesław FilipiakPoland
(age )
data-sort-value="3" CD
Paul VI
Dean emeritus of the Sacred Roman RotaIll health; died on 14 October 1978, the day on which the second conclave began

Cardinal electors by continent and by country

The 112 attending cardinal electors in either conclave were from 49 countries on all six inhabited continents. The countries with the greatest number of cardinal electors were Italy (twenty-six in the first conclave, twenty-five in the second conclave), the United States (eight in the first conclave, nine in the second conclave; excluding Puerto Rico) and France (seven in both conclaves).

+
(August 1978)
ContinentNumber Percentage
Africa12
North America15
South America16
Asia9
Europe55
Oceania4
Total111 100.0%
+
(October 1978)
ContinentNumber Percentage
Africa12
North America16
South America16
Asia9
Europe54
Oceania4
Total111 100.0%
+
(August 1978)
CountryContinentNumber
AlgeriaAfrica1
Argentinadata-sort-value="America, South" South America4
AustraliaOceania2
AustriaEurope1
BelgiumEurope2
BeninAfrica1
Boliviadata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
Brazildata-sort-value="America, South" South America6
Canadadata-sort-value="America, North" North America3
Chiledata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
Colombiadata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
CzechoslovakiaEurope1
Dominican Republicdata-sort-value="America, North" North America1
Ecuadordata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
EgyptAfrica1
FranceEurope7
East GermanyEurope1
West GermanyEurope4
Guatemaladata-sort-value="America, North" North America1
HungaryEurope1
IndiaAsia2
IndonesiaAsia1
ItalyEurope26
KenyaAfrica1
South KoreaAsia1
MadagascarAfrica1
Mexicodata-sort-value="America, North" North America1
NetherlandsEurope2
New ZealandOceania1
NigeriaAfrica1
PakistanAsia1
Perudata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
PhilippinesAsia2
PolandEurope2
PortugalEurope1
data-sort-value="America, North" North America1
SenegalAfrica1
South AfricaAfrica1
SpainEurope4
Sri LankaAsia1
TanzaniaAfrica1
UgandaAfrica1
United KingdomEurope2
United Statesdata-sort-value="America, North" North America8
Upper VoltaAfrica1
Venezueladata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
VietnamAsia1
Western SamoaOceania1
YugoslaviaEurope1
ZaireAfrica1
Total111
+
(October 1978)
CountryContinentNumber
AlgeriaAfrica1
Argentinadata-sort-value="America, South" South America4
AustraliaOceania2
AustriaEurope1
BelgiumEurope2
BeninAfrica1
Boliviadata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
Brazildata-sort-value="America, South" South America6
Canadadata-sort-value="America, North" North America3
Chiledata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
Colombiadata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
CzechoslovakiaEurope1
Dominican Republicdata-sort-value="America, North" North America1
Ecuadordata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
EgyptAfrica1
FranceEurope7
East GermanyEurope1
West GermanyEurope4
Guatemaladata-sort-value="America, North" North America1
HungaryEurope1
IndiaAsia2
IndonesiaAsia1
ItalyEurope25
KenyaAfrica1
South KoreaAsia1
MadagascarAfrica1
Mexicodata-sort-value="America, North" North America1
NetherlandsEurope2
New ZealandOceania1
NigeriaAfrica1
PakistanAsia1
Perudata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
PhilippinesAsia2
PolandEurope2
PortugalEurope1
data-sort-value="America, North" North America1
SenegalAfrica1
South AfricaAfrica1
SpainEurope4
Sri LankaAsia1
TanzaniaAfrica1
UgandaAfrica1
United KingdomEurope2
United Statesdata-sort-value="America, North" North America9
Upper VoltaAfrica1
Venezueladata-sort-value="America, South" South America1
VietnamAsia1
Western SamoaOceania1
YugoslaviaEurope1
ZaireAfrica1
Total111

See also

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Romano Pontifici Eligendo. Apostolic constitution. Pope Paul VI. 1 October 1975. The Holy See. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. la. 7 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20200206122614/https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/la/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19751001_romano-pontifici-eligendo.html. 6 February 2020. live.
  2. News: Hofmann. Paul. Paul Hofmann. 9 August 1978. Choice of Non‐Italian Pope Held Possible but Unlikely. The New York Times. 7 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180826105908/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/09/archives/choice-of-nonitalian-pope-held-possible-but-unlikely-dutchman-is-on.html. 26 August 2018. live.
  3. News: Koven. Ronald. 14 October 1978. Electioneering in the Vatican Style. The Washington Post. 7 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181104113959/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/10/14/electioneering-in-the-vatican-style/12a313e5-e9bc-4fb7-89c1-24aac0530e21/. 4 November 2018. live.
  4. News: 9 August 1978. Leading U.S. Cardinal To Miss Papal Voting. The New York Times. 7 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180622201754/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/08/09/archives/leading-us-cardinal-to-miss-papal-voting.html. 22 June 2018. live.