After clearly stabilizing last November, the theoretical limit of the number of cardinal voters is gradually approaching. As of Monday, March 8, only 126 students have been selected for the College of Cardinals, up from a theoretical maximum of 120. Cardinal Wilfried Napier, Archdiocese of Durban, South Africa, celebrates his 80th birthday on Monday, March 8.^e Anniversary, so if a new pope is elected, the right to vote will be lost.

Read. Sudanese Cardinal Gabriel Zubair Wakko is no longer a voter if there is a conclave

Born in South Africa, Wilfried Napier studied at Ireland and at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. He was ordained a priest in 1970, eight years before he was appointed Apostolic Ruler of the Diocese of Cox’s Bazar. He became a bishop in November 1980 at the age of 39. Bishop Napier, president of the Conference of Bishops of South Africa from 1987 to 1994, was active in his country at the time in the fight against apartheid – he was close to Nelson Mandela.

An important sound of conclaves

In 1992, Pope John Paul II made him head of the Diocese of Durban. Became the first black archbishop in it. Bishop Napier, President of the National Episcopal Conference from 2000 to 2008, received the Cardinal Bar in 2001 from John Paul II. So he attended the Conclaves in 2005 and 2013 papabile, At least like a man who makes noise.

An inspired pledge, Pope Francis elected him a member of the Council for Economy in 2014. Along with seven other cardinals – Jean-Pierre Ricard of France, then Archbishop of Bordeaux. Five years later the order expired, and members of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the People were inducted into the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Society of Apostolic Life and the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Traditional approach to family

In 2015, Cardinal Napier was elected by Pope Francis as one of the presidents of the Second Synod on Family. At the Ula La Synod, he is one of the main voices who does not hesitate to strongly defend the traditional family model. In 2018, he again attended a synod on youth, faith and career wisdom. Here again, as a sign of his importance, he was elected to the Information Commission to represent Africa, replacing Cardinal Robert Sarah, professor of the Church for Worship. “Personal reasons”.

IN maintenance. Cardinal Napier: “Mandela embodies humility”

In addition to the two cardinal-patriarchs, Cardinal Napier is the only cardinal to head a diocese. If a conclave takes place there will no longer be a voter. The next cardinal to lose his right to vote due to age will be George Pell, Prefect Emeritus of the Secretariat for Economy, who will turn 80 on June 8.