Notes on Cardinal-electors

As Cardinals from around the world prepare to enter the Sistine Chapel for the Conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI next Tuesday, we will posting up a series of brief notes on several of the candidates. In addition we will be publishing links to several more sites offering further analysis of the Cardinals taking part in the Papal Election.

Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, age 65.

Archbishop of Brasilia.

Born 1947 in Santa Caterina, Brazil. He is one of eight siblings; the youngest sister has Down’s syndrome. As young priest, caught in a robbery's cross-fire of an armed robbery, with bullets perforating his lungs, intestines and an eye. Some bullet fragments remain lodged in his body.

Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz studied at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian and Lateran Universities. he was made cardinal in 2012. He has focused on the welfare of the poor as espoused by the Liberation Theology popular in Latin America. But he distances itself from its ideological "excesses", saying it almost caused him to abandon his vocation.

Not on Twitter

Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley OFM Cap, age 68.

Archbishop of Boston, USA.

Born 1944 in Lakewood, Ohio. During his deaconate, worked on Easter Island, Chile. Studied and lectured at Catholic University of America. Ministered to Latinos in Washington where he set up a Spanish bookshop and Spanish newspaper. In Virgin Islands, worked with the homeless, and opened home for people with AIDS. Member of Congregation for the Clergy, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in the Roman Curia and Presidential Council of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

He is the only Capuchin member of the College of Cardinals and usually wears his Franciscan habit. He was critical of the Democratic Party's stand on abortion but said unless the Church formally excommunicated them, he would not deny Communion to Catholic politicians in his diocese who support abortion rights.

On 19 September 2006, O'Malley became the first cardinal with a personal blog, www.CardinalSeansBlog.org.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, age 68.

Archbishop of Quebec, Canada.

Born 1944 in La Motte, Quebec. Now head of Vatican Congregation for Bishops. He decided to become a priest as a teenager. Taught in seminaries in Colombia and Canada. A native French speaker he also speaks English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and German fluently.

He has done missionary work in South America. He has said the papacy is a "crushing responsibility" that he would hesitate to take.

Not on Twitter

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, age 70.

President of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Born in 1942 in Lecco, Italy. Intellectual. Chose priesthood over teaching Latin and Greek classics.

Though he lacks pastoral experience, he is known as a fine communicator and preacher. He gave the Vatican Lenten retreat this year. On faith and reason, he has said: "Faith answers why, science how." On the music of Amy Winehouse: "in these words so lacerating musically and thematically - emerge questions of common sense for all'

Cardinal Ravasi has helped popularise scripture studies through Italian media.

He uses Twitter

Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, age 68.

Archbishop of Vienna

Born in 1945, the son of a Bohemian count, he was born to a family with a long history of high office in the Catholic church and the Holy Roman Empire. He was a persistent quiet critic of the Church's handling of the pedophilia crisis.

Seen as Benedict's intellectual protege, he is respected by Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians. Was embroiled in open rebellion by hundreds of own priests in Austria.

He broke ranks to speak in favour of reform. In 2010 he caused controversy by suggesting it was time to re-examine the issue of priestly celibacy but later said he was not questioning the celibacy rule. In 1996, Schönborn said on Austrian TV that someone suffering from AIDS might use a condom as a "lesser evil".

Not on Twitter

Cardinal Angelo Scola, age 71.

Archbishop of Milan

Born 1941 in Milan, Italy, he is the son of a truck driver. Has doctorates in Christian philosophy and theology.

Scola is the author of numerous theological and pedagogical works on topics such as bio-medical ethics, theological anthropology, human sexuality and marriage and the family. These have been translated into several different languages - including Arabic.

Italian newspapers have called him "crown prince of Catholicism"

He recently suspended his Twitter account

Cardinal Luis Tagle, age 56.

Archbishop of Manila

Born 1957 in the Philippines. he was made cardinal in November 2012. Served on International Theologian Commission. Cardinal Tagle has gained a reputation as a man of the people, known for inviting beggars outside his cathedral to share a meal with him. Tagle is known for his humility, warmth and ability to explain complex theological ideas in layman’s terms, while not being afraid to raise questions about controversial church issues.

Theologically and politically, he is viewed as balanced.

He is a frequent broadcaster in the Philippines and a keen user of new media. He is on Facebook.

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, age 64

President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Turkson became the first-ever Ghanaian cardinal in 2003 when he was appointed by Pope John Paul II. As the general secretary of the Synod for Africa he is a strong candidate to become the first African pope of the modern age.

Turkson is seen as a moderate, signalling openness, for example, to the argument that condoms might be appropriate for couples where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not.

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, age 69

President of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches

, working with those Catholics who celebrate Eastern-style liturgies. Born in Buenos Aires 1943 to Italian immigrants. His posts have included Apostolic Nuncio in Madagascar, Mauritius, Venezuela and Mexico.

He also worked for three years in the Vatican's Washington embassies

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier OFM 72

Archbishop of Durban

A native South African, Cardinal Napier was born 1941 in Swartberg, South Africa and ordained a priest in 1970. He first became a bishop in 1980 when he was appointed bishop of Kokstad. In 1992, he was appointed archbishop of Durban. He chose as his episcopal motto the Franciscan phrase pax et bonum - peace and goodwill.

Cardinal Napier graduated from the National University of Ireland, Galway (then UCG) in 1964 with a degree in Latin and English. Thirty one years later in 1995, the University bestowed the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on him.

Cardinal Napier is a Member of the Episcopal Board of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). He was made Cardinal in 2001. On 21 March 2012, Cardinal Napier was appointed a Member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers by Pope Benedict XVI.

In January, 2005, Cardinal Napier and made statements arguing that government programmes to distribute condoms were ineffectual in stemming the spread of HIV. Instead, he proposed programmes based around abstinence.

Cardinal Napier has said that, to some extent, the Vatican lacks a "sufficient sensitivity to African churches." He said the pope's trips to Africa have helped in that regard, since every time he comes, Vatican officials are forced to learn something about Africa.

For more information and biographies see:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21657407

www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/489/26

To 'Adopt a Cardinal' to pray for, see: www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=22068