Vatican launches virtual College of Cardinal ‘dashboard’ December 7, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Anyone interested in Catholic Church can now see a detailed, interactive breakdown of the body that will elect the next pope. The Vatican launched a “dashboard” for the College of Cardinals Dec. 5, allowing users of the web page to see a comprehensive list of the church’s cardinals and sort them by age, rank, country of origin, electoral status and religious order. Initially it was available only in Italian. The dashboard, created with Microsoft Power BI — an AI tool designed to visually organize data — was published on the Vatican press office’s public website just two days before Pope Francis was scheduled to create 21 new cardinals Dec. 7.s The page — https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/documentation/cardinali—statistiche/dashboard-collegio-cardinalizio.html — allows users to see a map of where current cardinals are from, as well as the percentage of cardinals from each region who are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in conclave. As of Dec. 5, for example, 47.8 percent of cardinals from Europe are eligible to vote in a conclave while 100 percent of cardinals from Oceania are eligible electors. Cardinals lose their right to vote in a conclave on their 80th birthday or when they lose the rights and privileges of a cardinal, as was the case with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, former prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, who was convicted by a Vatican court for financial malfeasance related to when he was substitute for the Vatican Secretariat of State. Beyond age, rank and geographical distribution, users can also sort cardinals by precedence, which is based on the timing of their appointment as cardinals and their seniority within their rank and dictates matters such as seating arrangements and the order of liturgical processions. The College of Cardinals is divided into three ranks — cardinal bishops, priests and deacons — which reflect a cardinal’s responsibilities or seniority within the church’s hierarchy. Previously, the Vatican website only offered separate lists of cardinals, organized alphabetically by name, by country, by age or grouped according to the pope who appointed them. According to the Vatican statistics, which include the 21 soon-to-be cardinals, there are 253 members of the College of Cardinals, 140 of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave. Read More Vatican News First stop for Pope Leo in Spain will be center that gives royal treatment to homeless Pope Leo calls Archbishop Fulton Sheen ‘a light of faith’ who touched millions with the Gospel Can Catholics as consumers drive a better AI future? Faithful join in rosary for peace in Washington as pope leads the Marian devotion for world Knights of Peter Claver express ‘full support’ for Pope Leo slavery apology Pope Leo XIV heads to Spain — a missionary country he knows by heart Copyright © 2024 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Print
