Know the 5 youngest cardinals participating in the conclave

In the next conclave, which will begin on May 7, the Cardenalicio College will have several remarkably young members who have traveled to Rome from all over the world, from Mongolia to Australia.

Of the 135 cardinals who are eligible to vote in a conclave, 15 are less than 60 years old.

Historically, the age of the cardinals who participate in the papal conclaves has varied. One of the youngest was Cardinal Alfonso Gesualdo Di Conza, who attended the conclave of 1565–1566 at the age of 25.

In more recent times, during the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, major archbishop of the Catholic Church Siro-Malankara, was the youngest cardinal with 53 years. In the next conclave, there are six cardinals who are the same age or are younger.

The five youngest cardinals lead dioceses in Australia, Mongolia, Portugal and Canada, as well as a dicas supplies of the Roman curia. Two of them are Catholics of Eastern Rite. Three were created Cardinals in the last session before the conclave.

Here are the five youngest cardinals who will help select the next Pope:

Cardenal Mykola Bychok, 45

Born on February 13, 1980 in Ternopil, Ukraine, Bychok felt the call to the priesthood at age 15. He joined the congregation of the Blessed Redeemer (the Redeemer) in 1997, inspired by his missionary zeal. His service has been extensive, including roles as a missionary in Russia, pastor and provincial treasurer in Ukraine, as well as vicar of the Ukrainian Catholic parish of San Juan Bautista in Newark, New Jersey.

In January 2020, Pope Francis appointed him Eparquial Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparquía of San Pedro and San Pablo in Melbourne, Australia. His episcopal consecration took place on June 7, 2020. Bychok has worked to foster the community among the Ukrainian diaspora in Australia and increase youth participation within the Church.

On December 7, 2024, Pope Francis raised him to the Cardinal College, making him the youngest cardinal in the world today.

Cardenal Giorgio Marengo, 50

Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, born on June 7, 1974 in Cuneo, Italy, has been a missionary Consolidate in Mongolia since 2003. He was ordered priest in 2001 and appointed Apostolic Prefect of Ulán Bator in 2020.

Pope Francis created him Cardinal on August 27, 2022, making him the youngest member of the Cardinal College at that time, with 48 years. He received Pope Francis in Mongolia in 2023, when he was the first Pope to visit the country. Marengo speaks Mongolian, Italian and English.

Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves, 51

Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves, born on December 12, 1973, is a bishop of Setúbal, Portugal. Before entering the priesthood, Aguiar had a brief political career, serving as a councilor in the Socialist Party. He was ordained a priest at age 27 in 2001 and then held roles as Vicar General and Communication Director for the Diocese of Porto. He became auxiliary bishop of Lisbon in 2019 and gained recognition for his leadership in the Organization of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, which brought together more than 1.5 million attendees.

Pope Francis made it Cardinal in the late 2023.

Cardenal George Jacob Koovakad, 51

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, born on August 11, 1973 in Kerala, India, is diplomat of the Vatican and Archbishop Siro-Malabar. His diplomatic career included assignments in several countries, such as Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica and Venezuela. In July 2020, Koovakad returned to Rome to work as an officer in the State Secretariat. He was responsible for organizing the international trips of Pope Francis between 2021 and 2024.

The Pope elevated him to Cardinal on December 7, 2024 and appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for the interreligious dialogue in January.

Cardinal Francis Leo,

Cardinal Francis “Frank” Leo, born on June 30, 1971 in Montreal of Italian immigrant parents, is the current archbishop of Toronto. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Montreal in 1996. Leo has a doctorate in systematic theology with specialization in mariology at Dayton University. He was general secretary of the Catholic Bishops of Canada from 2015 to 2021 and was appointed Archbishop of Toronto in 2023, an archdiocese with a population of about 2 million Catholics.

Pope Francis made it Cardinal in December 2024.

Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.