The United States is the second country with the most cardinal electors: 10 in total.
There are some veterans among these ten American cardinals, including those cardinals appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, such as the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, and the Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston, Daniel DiNardo. Another veteran from America is Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who had many public tensions with Pope Francis.
There are also high-ranking American cardinals in the Roman Curia. One example is Robert Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, who was formerly the superior of the Order of Saint Augustine and bishop in Peru from 2015 to 2023.
Among the cardinals created by Pope Francis are the Joseph Tobin, Blase Cupich, and Robert McElroy.
In Canada — a country visited by Pope Francis in the summer of 2022 — there are four cardinal electors. One of them is the Archbishop of Quebec, Gérald Lacroix, who stepped away from public life after accusations of alleged inappropriate behavior. The Vatican investigation found no signs of guilt.
Also notable from Canada is the young Francis Leo, whom Pope Francis made a cardinal at his most recent consistory in December 2024. He is a prelate with solid theological, canonical, and diplomatic training.
Meanwhile, Mexico has two cardinal electors: the Archbishop of Mexico City, Carlos Aguiar, and Francisco Robles of Guadalajara, who was appointed by Benedict XVI.
Central America has four electors, and South America has 17 electors total. Among them stands out Leopoldo José Brenes of Nicaragua, who has borne the burden of leading the Church under a dictatorship.
Brazilian Jaime Spengler is the president of the Latin American Episcopal Council.
Daniel Sturla of Uruguay is a Catholic figure active in the public life of his country, with experience handling public opinion—even when it is unfavorable.
Two Curia cardinals are also noteworthy: the Prefect for the Doctrine of the Faith, Víctor Manuel Fernández, and the former Prefect of the Dicastery for Religious, Brazilian João Braz de Aviz.
JRB
Trans. CRT
