Cardinal Peter Okpaleke Among 18 African Catholic Leaders To Elect New Pope

18 Cardinals from Africa will be part of the 135 eligible cardinals tasked with electing the Pope.

Europe is the continent that has the most cardinals with voting rights, with Asia coming in second.

The African cardinals to take part in the conclave include Catholic heavyweights like Fridolin Besungu from DR Congo, Ignace Dogbo from Ivory Coast, Stephen Brislin from South Africa, Arlindo Furtado from Cape Verde, Antonie Kambanda from Rwanda, and Jean-Pierre Kutwa from Ivory Coast.

Others to be part of the process are John Njue from Kenya, Dieudonne Nzapalainga from Central Africa, Peter Okpaleke from Nigeria, Nakellen Tuba Ouedraogo from Burkina Faso, Protase Rugambwa from Tanzania, Robert Sarah from Guinea, and Berhaneyesus Souraphiel from Ethiopia.

The list also includes Desire Tsarahazana of Madagascar, Peter Turkson from Ghana, Jean-Paul Vesco from Algeria, Cristobal Romero from Morocco, and Stephen Mulla of South Sudan.

Of the 135 voting cardinals, 108 were appointed by Pope Francis.

His Predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, appointed 22, while five were named by Pope John Paul 11.

To elect the new Pope, the cardinal-electors must achieve a two-thirds majority plus one.

Voting typically spans multiple days and rounds until threshold is met.

Among those considered possible successors to Pope Francis are Peter Erdo (Hungary) Matteo Zuppi (Italy) Robert Sarah (Guinea), Luis Tagle (Philippines) Malcom Ranjith (SriLanka) Pietro Parolin (Italy), Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Jerusalem), Fridolin Besungu (DR Congo), William Ejik (Netherlands), Anders Arborelius (Sweden), Charles Bo (Myanmar), and Jean-Mac Avelin (France).

-9News Nigeria.