South American Cardinals at the Conclave 2025: Who are they?

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As the first pope from Latin America, Pope Francis has cast a bright spotlight on Catholicism in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in the Amazon and the peripheries. With 182 million Catholics—13% of the global Catholic population—Latin America has become a spiritual powerhouse. In the next papal conclave, 23 cardinal electors from the Caribbean, Central, and South America will play a pivotal role. Representing 13 nations—including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and more—they make up over a quarter of the world’s Catholics and a fifth of the conclave’s voting body, second only to Europe. Notable voices include Brazil’s Cardinal Paulo Cesar Costa, the youngest cardinal in Latin America, and Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, the first cardinal from the Amazon. Argentina’s Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and longtime papal collaborator, is another key figure. Mexico’s Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, nicknamed “the Mexican Francis,” and Colombia’s Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio also stand out, reflecting diverse theological and pastoral approaches across the region. From Cuba to Haiti, from Paraguay to Guatemala, these cardinals bring with them the hopes and challenges of their people—from poverty and political turmoil to defending life and family. Though it’s unlikely Latin America will deliver the next pope so soon after Francis, its growing influence is undeniable. Subscribe to our newsletter 👉🏻 https://bit.ly/ewtnvatican 👥 Follow us on our social networks: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EWTNVatican/ X: https://twitter.com/EWTNVatican Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EWTNVatican 💻 And you can also visit our website: https://www.ewtnvatican.com/ These are the Cardinals included in this highlight video: Cardinal Paulo Cezar Costa (Archbishop of Brasília, Brazil, 57) Cardinal Jaime Spengler (Archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil, 66) Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha (Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, 65) Cardinal Leonardo Steiner (Archbishop of Manaus, Brazil, 74) Cardinal Orani João Tempesta (Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 74) Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer (Archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil, 75) Cardinal João Braz de Aviz (Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, Brazil, 78) Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes (Archbishop of Mexico City, Mexico, 75) Cardinal José Francisco Robles Ortega (Archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico, 76) Cardinal Vicente Bokalic (Archbishop of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, 72) Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli (Archbishop Emeritus of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 77) Cardinal Ángel Rossi (Archbishop of Córdoba, Argentina, 66) Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández (Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Argentina, 62) Cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib (Archbishop of Santiago, Chile, 67) Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio (Archbishop of Bogotá, Colombia, 63) Cardinal Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera (Archbishop of Guayaquil, Ecuador, 69) Cardinal Adalberto Martínez Flores (Archbishop of Asunción, Paraguay, 73) Cardinal Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio (Archbishop of Lima, Peru, 75) Cardinal Daniel Fernando Sturla (Archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay, ~64–65) Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes Solórzano (Archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua, 76) Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez (Archbishop of San Cristóbal de la Habana, Cuba, 76) Cardinal Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri (Bishop of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, 77) Cardinal Chibly Langlois (Bishop of Les Cayes, Haiti, 66) #PopeFrancis #CatholicChurch #Conclave #LatinAmerica #Cardinals #EWTN #catholicchurch #conclave2025 #southamerica

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• Christian Living