The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. Historically, they were the clergy of the city of Rome: they were the priests serving the Pope as the Bishop of Rome (hence, they were assigned duties in parishes of the city).

Today the only roles of the College are participating in papal elections when the Holy See is vacant (a meeting for such a purpose is called a "conclave") and advising the Roman Pontiff about Church matters (in the consistory). The College has no ruling power except for the sede vacante period, where its powers are still extremely limited (see Universi Dominici Gregis). The prefects of Vatican Congregations are always Cardinals.

The president and vice-president of the college are the Dean of the College of Cardinals and the Sub-Dean. Both are elected by the cardinals holding suburbicarian dioceses, but the election requires Papal confirmation. Except for presiding, the Dean has no power of governance over the cardinals, instead acting as primus inter pares.

Although the rules of the Conclave explicitly say the Pope need not be chosen from among the ranks of the Cardinals, that has been the norm since the election of Urban VI in 1378.

Since January 1, 1971, the cardinals over age 80 have not had a vote in the election of popes, under the terms of Pope Paul VI's motu proprio Ingravescentam Aetatem.

Members of the College of Cardinals

Cardinals are shown in order of seniority by date of appointment. The list is correct as of January 2004. Cardinals aged 80 or over will not be eligible to take part in the Conclave which elects the next Pope. Fourteen of the Cardinals were appointed during the reign of Pope Paul VI. All the others were appointed during Pope John Paul II's reign. There are three ranks of Cardinals: Cardinal Bishop s, Cardinal Priest s and Cardinal Deacon s. However, almost all are actually bishops.

• 4/28/1969: Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan (Korea) - born May 8 1922
• 4/28/1969: Eugênio Cardinal de Araújo Sales () - born November 8 1920
• 4/28/1969: Johannes Cardinal Willebrands (Netherlands) - born September 4 1909
• 3/5/1973: Luis Cardinal Aponte Martinez (Puerto Rico) - born August 4 1922
• 3/5/1973: Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns (Brazil) - born September 14 1921

• 3/5/1973: Salvatore Cardinal Pappalardo (Italy) - born September 23 1918
• 3/5/1973: Raúl Francisco Cardinal Primatesta (Argentina) - born April 14 1919
• 3/5/1973: Pio Cardinal Taofinu'u (Samoa) - born December 19 1923

• 5/24/1976: Corrado Cardinal Bafile (Italy) - born July 4 1903
• 5/24/1976: William Wakefield Cardinal Baum (USA) - born November 21 1926
• 5/24/1976: Aloísio Cardinal Lorscheider () - born October 8 1924
• 5/24/1976: Jaime Lachica Cardinal Sin (Philippines) - born August 31 1928
• 6/27/1977: Bernardin Cardinal Gantin (Benin) - born May 8 1922
• 6/27/1977: Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Germany) - born April 26 1927
• 6/30/1979: Giuseppe Cardinal Caprio (Italy) - born November 15 1914
• 6/30/1979: Marco Cardinal Cé (Italy) - born July 8 1925
• 6/30/1979: Ernesto Cardinal Corripio Ahumada (Mexico) - born June 29 1919
• 6/30/1979: Roger Cardinal Etchegaray () - born September 25 1922
• 6/30/1979: Franciszek Cardinal Macharski (Poland) - born May 20 1927
• 2/2/1983: Godfried Cardinal Danneels () - born June 5 1933
• 2/2/1983: Alexandre Cardinal do Nascimento () - born March 1 1925
• 2/2/1983: Józef Cardinal Glemp (Poland) - born December 28 1929
• 2/2/1983: Michael Michae Cardinal Kitbunchu (Thailand) - born January 26 1929
• 2/2/1983: Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo (Colombia) - born November 8 1935
• 2/2/1983: Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger (France) - born September 17 1926
• 2/2/1983: Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini (Italy) - born February 15 1927
• 2/2/1983: Joachim Cardinal Meisner () - born December 25 1933
• 2/2/1983: Thomas Stafford Cardinal Williams (New Zealand) - born March 20 1930
• 5/25/1985: Francis Cardinal Arinze (Nigeria) - born November 1 1932
• 5/25/1985: Giacomo Cardinal Biffi (Italy) - born June 13 1928
• 5/25/1985: Rosalio José Cardinal Castillo Lara (Venezuela) - born September 4 1922
• 5/25/1985: Andrzej Maria Cardinal Deskur (Poland) - born February 29 1924
• 5/25/1985: Édouard Cardinal Gagnon (Canada) - born January 15 1918
• 5/25/1985: Henryk Roman Cardinal Gulbinowicz (Poland) - born October 17 1928
• 5/25/1985: Antonio Cardinal Innocenti (Italy) - born August 23 1915
• 5/25/1985: D. Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy (India) - born February 5 1924
• 5/25/1985: Paul Augustin Cardinal Mayer (Germany) - born May 23 1911
• 5/25/1985: Miguel Cardinal Obando Bravo (Nicaragua) - born February 2 1926
• 5/25/1985: Silvano Cardinal Piovanelli (Italy) - born February 21 1924
• 5/25/1985: Paul Cardinal Poupard (France) - born August 30 1930
• 5/25/1985: Adrianus Johannes Cardinal Simonis (Netherlands) - born November 26 1931
• 5/25/1985: Alfons Maria Cardinal Stickler (Austria) - born August 23 1910
• 5/25/1985: Angel Cardinal Suquía Goicoechea (Spain) - born October 2 1916
• 5/25/1985: Jozef Cardinal Tomko (Slovakia) - born March 11 1924
• 5/25/1985: Louis-Albert Cardinal Vachon (Canada) - born February 4 1912
• 5/25/1985: Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal (Philippines) - born February 6 1931
• 5/25/1985: Friedrich Cardinal Wetter (Germany) - born February 20 1928
• 5/25/1985: Bernard Francis Cardinal Law (USA) - born November 4 1931
• 6/28/1988: Giovanni Cardinal Canestri (Italy) - born September 30 1918
• 6/28/1988: Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy (Australia) - born December 13 1923
• 6/28/1988: Alexandre José Maria Cardinal dos Santos (Mozambique) - born March 18 1924
• 6/28/1988: Jose Cardinal Freire Falcao (Brazil) - born October 23 1925
• 6/28/1988: Angelo Cardinal Felici (Italy) - born July 26 1919
• 6/28/1988: Michele Cardinal Giordano (Italy) - born September 26 1930
• 6/28/1988: Antonio María Cardinal Javierre Ortas (Spain) - born February 21 1921
• 6/28/1988: Jean Cardinal Margéot (Mauritius) - born February 23 1916
• 6/28/1988: Eduardo Cardinal Martínez Somalo (Spain) - born March 31 1927
• 6/28/1988: László Cardinal Paskai (Hungary) - born May 8 1927
• 6/28/1988: Simon Ignatius Cardinal Pimenta (India) - born March 1 1920
• 6/28/1988: Achille Cardinal Silvestrini (Italy) - born October 25 1923
• 6/28/1988: Edmund Casimir Cardinal Szoka (USA) - born September 14 1927
• 6/28/1988: Christian Wiyghan Cardinal Tumi (Cameroon) - born October 15 1930
• 6/28/1991: Fiorenzo Cardinal Angelini (Italy) - born August 1 1916
• 6/28/1991: Anthony Joseph Cardinal Bevilacqua (USA) - born June 17 1923
• 6/28/1991: Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy (Australia) - born July 5 1924
• 6/28/1991: Cahal Brendan Cardinal Daly (Ireland) - born October 1 1917
• 6/28/1991: Frédéric Cardinal Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi (Congo) - born December 3 1930
• 6/28/1991: Ján Chryzostom Cardinal Korec (Slovakia) - born January 22 1924
• 6/28/1991: Pio Cardinal Laghi (Italy) - born May 21 1922
• 6/28/1991: Nicolás de Jesús Cardinal López Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) - born October 31 1936
• 6/28/1991: Roger Michael Cardinal Mahony (USA) - born February 27 1936
• 6/28/1991: Virgilio Cardinal Noè (Italy) - born March 30 1922
• 6/28/1991: Camillo Cardinal Ruini (Italy) - born February 19 1931
• 6/28/1991: Giovanni Cardinal Saldarini (Italy) - born December 11 1924
• 6/28/1991: José T. Cardinal Sánchez (Philippines) - born March 17 1920
• 6/28/1991: Henri Cardinal Schwery (Switzerland) - born June 14 1932
• 6/28/1991: Angelo Cardinal Sodano (Italy) - born November 23 1927
• 6/28/1991: Georg Maximilian Cardinal Sterzinsky (Germany) - born February 9 1936
• 2/28/1994: Gilberto Cardinal Agustoni (Switzerland) - born July 26 1922
• 2/28/1994: Ricardo María Cardinal Carles Gordó () - born September 24 1926
• 2/28/1994: Julius Riyadi Cardinal Darmaatmadja (Indonesia) - born December 20 1934
• 2/28/1994: Carlo Cardinal Furno (Italy) - born December 2 1921
• 2/28/1994: William Henry Cardinal Keeler (USA) - born March 4 1931
• 2/28/1994: Adam Joseph Cardinal Maida (USA) - born March 18 1930
• 2/28/1994: Jaime Lucas Cardinal Ortega y Alamino (Cuba) - born October 18 1936
• 2/28/1994: Paul Joseph Cardinal Pham Dình Tung (Vietnam) - born June 15 1919
• 2/28/1994: Luigi Cardinal Poggi (Italy) - born November 25 1917
• 2/28/1994: Vinco Cardinal Puljic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - born September 8 1945
• 2/28/1994: Armand Gaétan Cardinal Razafindratandra (Madagascar) - born August 7 1925
• 2/28/1994: Juan Cardinal Sandoval Íñiguez (Mexico) - born March 28 1933
• 2/28/1994: Jan Pieter Cardinal Schotte () - born April 29 1928
• 2/28/1994: Nasrallah Pierre Cardinal Sfeir (Lebanon) - born May 15 1920
• 2/28/1994: Peter Seiichi Cardinal Shirayanagi (Japan) - born June 17 1928
• 2/28/1994: Adolfo Antonio Cardinal Suárez Rivera (Mexico) - born January 9 1927
• 2/28/1994: Kazimierz Cardinal Swiatek (Belarus) - born October 21 1914
• 2/28/1994: Ersilio Cardinal Tonini (Italy) - born July 20 1914
• 2/28/1994: Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte (Canada) - born June 26 1930
• 2/28/1994: Miloslav Cardinal Vlk (Czech Republic) - born May 17 1932
• 2/28/1994: Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala (Uganda) - born December 15 1926
• 2/21/1998: Aloysius Matthew Cardinal Ambrozic (Canada) - born January 27 1930
• 2/21/1998: Lorenzo Cardinal Antonetti (Italy) - born July 31 1922
• 2/21/1998: Serafim Cardinal Fernandes de Araújo () - born August 13 1924
• 2/21/1998: Dario Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos (Colombia) - born July 4 1929
• 2/21/1998: Giovanni Cardinal Cheli (Italy) - born October 4 1918
• 2/21/1998: Salvatore Cardinal De Giorgi (Italy) - born September 6 1930
• 2/21/1998: Francis Eugene Cardinal George (USA) - born January 16 1937
• 2/21/1998: Marian Cardinal Jaworski (Ukraine) - born August 21 1926
• 2/21/1998: Adam Cardinal Kozlowiecki (Poland) - April 1 1911
• 2/21/1998: Jorge Arturo Cardinal Medina Estévez (Chile) - born December 23 1926
• 2/21/1998: Dino Cardinal Monduzzi (Italy) - born April 2 1922
• 2/21/1998: Polycarp Cardinal Pengo (Tanzania) - born August 5 1944
• 2/21/1998: Janis Cardinal Pujats (Latvia) - born November 14 1930
• 2/21/1998: Norberto Cardinal Rivera Carrera (Mexico) - born June 6 1942
• 2/21/1998: Antonio María Cardinal Rouco Varela (Spain) - born August 24 1936
• 2/21/1998: Christoph Cardinal Schönborn (Austria) - born January 22 1945
• 2/21/1998: Paul Cardinal Shan Kui-hsi (Taiwan) - born December 3 1923
• 2/21/1998: James Francis Cardinal Stafford (USA) - born July 26 1932
• 2/21/1998: Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi (Italy) - born March 14 1934
• 2/21/2001: Geraldo Majella Cardinal Agnelo () - born October 19 1933
• 2/21/2001: Bernard Cardinal Agré (Ivory Coast) - born March 2 1926
• 2/21/2001: Francisco Cardinal Álvarez Martínez (Spain) - born July 14 1925
• 2/21/2001: Audrys Juozas Cardinal Backis (Lithuania) - born February 1 1937
• 2/21/2001: Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio (Argentina) - born December 17 1936
• 2/21/2001: Agostino Cardinal Cacciavillan (Italy) - born August 14 1926
• 2/21/2001: Juan Luis Cardinal Cipriani Thorne (Peru) - born December 28 1943
• 2/21/2001: Desmond Cardinal Connell (Ireland) - born March 24 1926
• 2/21/2001: Ignace Moussa I Cardinal Daoud (Syria) - born September 18 1930
• 2/21/2001: Ivan Cardinal Dias (India) - born April 14 1936
• 2/21/2001: Avery Cardinal Dulles (USA) - born August 24 1918
• 2/21/2001: Edward Michael Cardinal Egan (USA) - born April 2 1932
• 2/21/2001: Francisco Javier Cardinal Errázuriz Ossa (Chile) - born September 5 1933
• 2/21/2001: Stephanos II Cardinal Ghattas (Egypt) - born January 16 1920
• 2/21/2001: Antonio José González Zumárraga (Ecuador) - born March 18 1925
• 2/21/2001: Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski (Poland) - born October 11 1939
• 2/21/2001: Jean Cardinal Honoré (France) - born August 13 1920
• 2/21/2001: Cláudio Cardinal Hummes () - born August 8 1934
• 2/21/2001: Lubomyr Cardinal Husar (Ukraine) - born February 26 1933
• 2/21/2001: Walter Cardinal Kasper (Germany) - born March 5 1933
• 2/21/2001: Karl Cardinal Lehmann (Germany) - born May 16 1936
• 2/21/2001: Theodore Edgar Cardinal McCarrick (USA) - born July 7 1930
• 2/21/2001: Jorge María Cardinal Mejía (Argentina) - born January 31 1923
• 2/21/2001: Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor (England) - born August 24 1932
• 2/21/2001: Wilfrid Fox Cardinal Napier (South Africa) - born March 8 1941
• 2/21/2001: Severino Cardinal Poletto (Italy) - born March 18 1933
• 2/21/2001: José Cardinal da Cruz Policarpo () - born February 26 1936
• 2/21/2001: Mario Francesco Cardinal Pompedda (Italy) - born April 18 1929
• 2/21/2001: Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re (Italy) - born January 30 1934
• 2/21/2001: Oscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga (Honduras) - born December 29 1942
• 2/21/2001: Pedro Cardinal Rubiano Sáenz (Colombia) - born September 13 1932
• 2/21/2001: José Cardinal Saraiva Martins () - born January 6 1932
• 2/21/2001: Leo Cardinal Scheffczyk (Germany) - born February 21 1920
• 2/21/2001: Sergio Cardinal Sebastiani (Italy) - born April 11 1931
• 2/21/2001: Crescenzio Cardinal Sepe (Italy) - born June 2 1943
• 2/21/2001: Julio Cardinal Terrazas Sandoval (Bolivia) - born March 7 1936
• 2/21/2001: Roberto Cardinal Tucci (Italy) - born April 19 1921
• 2/21/2001: Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil (India) - born May 29 1927
• 10/21/2003: Carlos Cardinal Amigo Vallejo (Spain) - born August 23 1934
• 10/21/2003: Ennio Cardinal Antonelli (Italy) - born November 18 1936
• 10/21/2003: Philippe Cardinal Barbarin (France) - born October 17 1950
• 10/21/2003: Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone (Italy) - born December 2 1934
• 10/21/2003: Josip Cardinal Bozanic (Croatia) - born March 20 1949
• 10/21/2003: George Marie Martin Cardinal Cottier (Switzerland) - born April 25 1922
• 10/21/2003: Peter Cardinal Erdö (Hungary) - born June 25 1952
• 10/21/2003: Stephen Fumio Cardinal Hamao (Japan) - born March 9 1930
• 10/21/2003: Julian Cardinal Herranz (Spain) - born March 31 1930
• 10/21/2003: Javier Cardinal Lozano Barragán (Mexico) - born January 26 1933
• 10/21/2003: Francesco Cardinal Marchisano (Italy) - born June 25 1929
• 10/21/2003: Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino (Italy) - born November 23 1932
• 10/21/2003: Stanislas Cardinal Nagy (Poland) - born September 30 1921
• 10/21/2003: Attilio Cardinal Nicora (Italy) - born March 16 1937
• 10/21/2003: Keith Michael Patrick Cardinal O'Brien (Scotland) - born March 17 1938
• 10/21/2003: Anthony Olubumni Cardinal Okogie (Nigeria) - born June 16 1936
• 10/21/2003: Marc Cardinal Ouellet (Canada) - born June 8 1944
• 10/21/2003: Bernard Cardinal Panafieu (France) - born January 26 1931
• 10/21/2003: George Cardinal Pell (Australia) - born April 8 1941
• 10/21/2003: Jean-Baptiste Cardinal Pham Minh Mán (Vietnam) - born 1934 (birthday not recorded)
• 10/21/2003: Rodolfo Cardinal Quezada Toruño (Guatemala) - born March 8 1932
• 10/21/2003: Justin Francis Cardinal Rigali (USA) - born April 19 1935
• 10/21/2003: Eusebio Oscar Cardinal Scheid () - born December 8 1932
• 10/21/2003: Angelo Cardinal Scola (Italy) - born November 7 1941
• 10/21/2003: Tomas Cardinal Spidlik (Czech Republic) - born December 17 1919
• 10/21/2003: Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran (France) - born April 3 1943
• 10/21/2003: Telesphore Placidus Cardinal Toppo (India) - born October 13 1939
• 10/21/2003: Peter Kodwo Appiah Cardinal Turkson (Ghana) - born October 11 1948
• 10/21/2003: Gabriel Cardinal Zubeir Wako (Sudan) - born February 27 1939

See also

• List of notable Cardinals

External link

• Cardinals of the Catholic Church http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_list.asp - an sortable list,often slightly out of date on deaths
• The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, by Salvador Miranda http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/cardinals.htm