Overview

• Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo's eligibility to vote in the upcoming papal conclave hinges on conflicting records of his birthdate.
• The 2024 Vatican yearbook lists his birthdate as January 24, 1945, making him 80, while the 2025 edition lists it as December 31, 1945, making him 79.
• The under-80 voting age rule, established in 1970, raises concerns that an ineligible vote could invalidate the conclave's results.
• Ouédraogo, a conservative cardinal from Burkina Faso, could influence the ideological balance in the Church's decision-making process.
• The Vatican has yet to clarify his official birthdate, leaving the number of eligible electors uncertain just days before the conclave begins.