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Cardinals created by Francis
Pope Francis (r. 2013–2025) created cardinals at ten consistories held at roughly annual intervals beginning in 2014 and for the last time on 7 December 2024. The cardinals created by Francis include 163 cardinals from 76 countries, 25 of which had never been represented in the College of Cardinals.
His appointments include the first Scandinavian since the Reformation, the first from Goa since an episcopal see was established there in 1533, the first from Latin America's indigenous peoples, the first from India's Dalit community, and the first active head of a religious congregation. He also appointed Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost in 2023, who later became Pope Leo XIV following Francis' death in April 2025.
Following the 2024 consistory, 110 of the cardinal electors had been appointed by Francis, 24 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 6 by Pope John Paul II. Each of Francis' consistories increased the number of cardinal electors from at or less than the set limit of 120 to a number higher than 120, as high as 140 in 2024, surpassing the record 135 set by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and 2003. Since 2 June 2023, two-thirds of the cardinal electors have been cardinals created by Francis. The December 2024 consistory increased that to about 79%, and 81% of the electors who participated in the 2025 papal conclave were created by Francis.
Francis shifted membership in the College of Cardinals away from Europe. The conclave that chose his successor was the first where Europeans did not account for a majority of electors, instead only making up 40% of them.[citation needed]
Francis' consistories all brought the number of cardinal electors above the maximum of 120 introduced by Pope Paul VI, reaching between 121 and 140 electors, and remaining higher than 120 for over a year following the 2023 consistory. His predecessors had also exceeded the 120 limit on several occasions: Paul VI himself had increased the number of cardinal electors to 134 in 1969, before he introduced the 120 limit in 1975. Pope John Paul II brought the number as high as 135 in 2001 and 2003, while Pope Benedict XVI's highest was 125 in 2012.
Francis' first four consistories increased the number of electors above 120 modestly for short periods: to 122 in 2014 for less than a month, to 125 in 2015 for two months, to 121 in 2016 for two weeks, and to 121 in 2017 for ten weeks.
In the June 2018 consistory, Francis again increased the number of cardinal electors to 125, and the count only fell to 120 after ten months. The October 2019 consistory increased the number of electors to 128. The 80th birthdays of four electors reduced that number to 124 in two weeks, but almost a year passed before the number of cardinal electors fell to 120 on 29 September 2020. The November 2020 consistory raised the number of electors to 128 again, but their number returned to 120 a little more quickly than after the previous consistory, on 7 November 2021. The August 2022 consistory raised the number of cardinal electors to 132, with the 80th birthdays of electors set to reduce that figure to 120 in little more than a year, shortened by the death of Richard Baawobr in November 2022 to 11 months.
The September 2023 consistory raised the number of cardinal electors to 137, a record at the time; it offered the possibility that the number of electors would exceed 120 until Oswald Gracias turned 80 on 24 December 2024, but the number fell to 120 with the death of Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot on 25 November 2024. After Francis created 20 electors on 7 December 2024, the number of cardinal electors was 140, a new record high. The number of cardinal-electors only fell to 120 on 15 April 2026, with the 80th birthday of Fernando Filoni.
At the time of the 2025 conclave after the death of Pope Francis, there were 135 cardinal-electors, marking the first time since the promulgation of Universi Dominici Gregis that the number of cardinal-electors went above 120. The general congregations of the College of Cardinals allowed all cardinal-electors to participate in the conclave. The absence of two cardinal-electors due to health reasons, left 133 cardinal-electors participating at that conclave, which elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, one of the cardinals created by Francis, who took the name Pope Leo XIV.
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Cardinals created by Francis
Pope Francis (r. 2013–2025) created cardinals at ten consistories held at roughly annual intervals beginning in 2014 and for the last time on 7 December 2024. The cardinals created by Francis include 163 cardinals from 76 countries, 25 of which had never been represented in the College of Cardinals.
His appointments include the first Scandinavian since the Reformation, the first from Goa since an episcopal see was established there in 1533, the first from Latin America's indigenous peoples, the first from India's Dalit community, and the first active head of a religious congregation. He also appointed Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost in 2023, who later became Pope Leo XIV following Francis' death in April 2025.
Following the 2024 consistory, 110 of the cardinal electors had been appointed by Francis, 24 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 6 by Pope John Paul II. Each of Francis' consistories increased the number of cardinal electors from at or less than the set limit of 120 to a number higher than 120, as high as 140 in 2024, surpassing the record 135 set by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and 2003. Since 2 June 2023, two-thirds of the cardinal electors have been cardinals created by Francis. The December 2024 consistory increased that to about 79%, and 81% of the electors who participated in the 2025 papal conclave were created by Francis.
Francis shifted membership in the College of Cardinals away from Europe. The conclave that chose his successor was the first where Europeans did not account for a majority of electors, instead only making up 40% of them.[citation needed]
Francis' consistories all brought the number of cardinal electors above the maximum of 120 introduced by Pope Paul VI, reaching between 121 and 140 electors, and remaining higher than 120 for over a year following the 2023 consistory. His predecessors had also exceeded the 120 limit on several occasions: Paul VI himself had increased the number of cardinal electors to 134 in 1969, before he introduced the 120 limit in 1975. Pope John Paul II brought the number as high as 135 in 2001 and 2003, while Pope Benedict XVI's highest was 125 in 2012.
Francis' first four consistories increased the number of electors above 120 modestly for short periods: to 122 in 2014 for less than a month, to 125 in 2015 for two months, to 121 in 2016 for two weeks, and to 121 in 2017 for ten weeks.
In the June 2018 consistory, Francis again increased the number of cardinal electors to 125, and the count only fell to 120 after ten months. The October 2019 consistory increased the number of electors to 128. The 80th birthdays of four electors reduced that number to 124 in two weeks, but almost a year passed before the number of cardinal electors fell to 120 on 29 September 2020. The November 2020 consistory raised the number of electors to 128 again, but their number returned to 120 a little more quickly than after the previous consistory, on 7 November 2021. The August 2022 consistory raised the number of cardinal electors to 132, with the 80th birthdays of electors set to reduce that figure to 120 in little more than a year, shortened by the death of Richard Baawobr in November 2022 to 11 months.
The September 2023 consistory raised the number of cardinal electors to 137, a record at the time; it offered the possibility that the number of electors would exceed 120 until Oswald Gracias turned 80 on 24 December 2024, but the number fell to 120 with the death of Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot on 25 November 2024. After Francis created 20 electors on 7 December 2024, the number of cardinal electors was 140, a new record high. The number of cardinal-electors only fell to 120 on 15 April 2026, with the 80th birthday of Fernando Filoni.
At the time of the 2025 conclave after the death of Pope Francis, there were 135 cardinal-electors, marking the first time since the promulgation of Universi Dominici Gregis that the number of cardinal-electors went above 120. The general congregations of the College of Cardinals allowed all cardinal-electors to participate in the conclave. The absence of two cardinal-electors due to health reasons, left 133 cardinal-electors participating at that conclave, which elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, one of the cardinals created by Francis, who took the name Pope Leo XIV.