US EditionKenyan cardinal claims he wasn’t invited for conclave; Vatican says invite is automatic
- Kenyan Cardinal John Njue claimed on May 5 he was not invited to the 2025 conclave in Vatican City to elect the 267th pope.
- Njue’s eligibility arose after Vatican records quietly changed his birthdate from 1944 to January 1, 1946, allowing conclave participation under age 80.
- The archdiocese and apostolic nuncio confirmed Njue was officially invited but had to decline due to health concerns communicated before the conclave.
- Archbishop Anyolo confirmed that while His Eminence is entitled to take part and received an official invitation, he will not be able to attend due to health-related issues preventing travel.
- Njue’s absence sparked widespread Kenyan online chatter and false social media death reports despite his eligibility and presence at a recent Mass.
15 Articles
15 Articles
From Becciu and Cipriani to the Cardinal of Kenya "not invited": the polemics mark the previous conclave until the last day
John Njue now claims that his absence in the Pope’s election is not because of illness but because he has not been invited, in a confusing episode that began with changes in his date of birth; it is the umpteenth controversy of a preconclave in which Francis’ enemies have defied their decisions openly Betrayals and intrigues before the conclave that will elect the new Pope They did not want to leave, despite the fact that many cardinals asked hi…
Questions surround Kenyan Cardinal John Njue's invite to participate in the conclave - The Dialog
ROME — Of the 135 cardinals eligible to enter the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to elect the next pope, one absence has sparked confusion, controversy and no small amount of speculation, almost as if it were a plot point of the movie “Conclave.” Kenyan Cardinal John Njue, 79, will not take part in the election of the 267th pope, despite technically being eligible to vote. The reason? That depends on whom you ask. In an interview published May 5 by The…
Mystery as conclave cardinal says he has not been invited
The conclave to elect a new Pope has been hit by a controversy after an African cardinal claimed he ‘hadn’t been invited’. Cardinal John Njue, 79, is eligible to join the other 133 cardinals, from 70 countries, who are gathering in the Vatican for the start of the secretive process, which begins this afternoon in […]
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