The Dominican Republic Roman Catholic Church will not be represented in the Vatican Conclave 2025 to choose the next Pope. The current Dominican cardinal is Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop emeritus for Santo Domingo. He will not be included on grounds of his age. He is 88 years old. He also is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease with significant physical limitations.
Jesuit priest Pablo Mella recently speculated the cardinals are inclined towards choosing a more conservative priest, as reported in Noticias SIN. He said a first black Pope could be chosen.
The rules to participate in the Conclave 2025 require less than 80 years of age. The Conclave is scheduled to start on 7 May, with expectations that the new Pope will be named in two or three days.
The Vatican News reports that 135 cardinals were eligible to vote for the next Pope, but for health reasons two of these will not. The Vatican News says that while there are 53 European cardinals, the vote will be less Euro-centric on grounds that most of the incumbent cardinals were appointed by the late Pope Francisco during his 12 year term.
More than three-quarters of them (108) were appointed by Pope Francisco, while 22 were created by Benedict XVI, and five by St. John Paul II, making them the “veterans” of the Conclave. They are: French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Croatian Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Cardinal Vinko Puljić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana.
There are 53 cardinals from Europe, 37 from the Americas, 23 from Asia, 18 from Africa and 4 from Oceania.
To elect a Pope, a candidate must receive at least two-thirds of the votes cast by the cardinal electors present (approximately 90 out of 135). On the first day of the conclave, there will be one ballot. In the following days, up to four ballots can be held daily: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Following each vote, the smoke ritual takes place: black smoke indicates no election, while white smoke signals that a cardinal has been elected. Subsequently, there will be a 45-minute wait before the new Pope appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the well-known phrase “Habemus Papam” (We have a Pope) will be announced.
Read more in Spanish:
Vatican News
Noticias SIN
NCRegister
Conclave Elezione Papa 2025
30 April 2025