Four of the 133 cardinal electors who
will pick Pope Francis's successor in a conclave starting
Wednesday have not yet arrived in Rome, Vatican spokesman Matteo
Bruni said Friday.
He stressed that there are still 133 who will enter the Sistine
Chapel because the announced absences are only those of the two
cardinals who have manifested health problems: the Spaniard
Antonio Canizares Llovera and John Njue of Kenya.
The mystery of the latter's age remains, as is the case for the
cardinal of Burkina Faso Philippe Ouedraogo.
Their birth dates were recently corrected in the papal yearbook.
In practice, they have been 'rejuvenated' and for this reason
they are among the electors, because according to the birth
dates they had previously communicated, to date they would be
over eighty and therefore not electors. Njue however will not
come because he is ill.
But Ouedraogo remains entitled to enter the Sistine Chapel.
"Not all countries enjoy the same quality of registry offices,"
explained the director of the Vatican press office, Bruni, and
the initial declarations on the date of birth "have been
modified with a valid document."
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