Jesuit priests at the time of their solemn and final profession in the Society of Jesus promise to "never strive or ambition, not even indirectly, to be chosen or promoted to any prelacy or dignity in or outside the Society; and I will do my best never to consent to my election unless I am forced to do so by obedience to him who can order me under penalty of sin." (Constitutions S.J., Part X, N°6 [817])

Yet because of various reasons and in different circumstances—for example, need of a bishop in an area where the Church has still to be developed, recognition of a theologian's outstanding contribution to theological reflection, etc.—several Jesuits have been made bishops or even cardinals. In such cases they remain only nominally Jesuit, as they lose active and passive voice within the Order and are no longer under the obedience of the Superior General.[1] In 2013 the first Jesuit pope was elected, Pope Francis.

The following is a complete list of contemporary living Jesuit cardinals.[2] Three of them are above 80 years of age and thus are ineligible as a papal elector. Another four are not yet above the age of 80 and thus are currently eligible to serve as papal electors.

* Cardinals ineligible to participate in a papal conclave
Current Jesuit Cardinals Date of Birth
Current Age
Elevated to Cardinal Order
Pedro Cardinal Barreto, S. J.
Peru Archbishop of Huancayo
Titular of Santi Pietro e Paolo a Via Ostiense
12 February 1944
79 years, 330 days
28 June 2018
Pope Francis
Cardinal-Priest
Michael F. Cardinal Czerny, S. J.
Canada Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
Titular of San Michele Arcangelo a Pietralata
18 July 1946
77 years, 174 days
9 October 2019
Pope Francis
Cardinal-Priest
Julius Riyadi Cardinal Darmaatmadja, S. J.
Indonesia Archbishop Emeritus of Jakarta
Titular of Sacro Cuore di Maria
20 December 1934
89 years, 19 days
26 November 1994
Pope John Paul II
Cardinal-Priest
Luis Cardinal Ladaria Ferrer, S. J.
Spain Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Titular of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius
19 April 1944
79 years, 264 days
28 June 2018
Pope Francis
Cardinal-Deacon
Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich, S. J.
Luxembourg Archbishop of Luxembourg
Titular of San Giovanni Crisostomo al Monte Sacro Alto
9 August 1958
65 years, 152 days
9 October 2019
Pope Francis
Cardinal-Priest
Sigitas Cardinal Tamkevičius, S. J.
Lithuania Archbishop Emeritus of Kaunas
Titular of Sant'Angela Merici
7 November 1938
85 years, 62 days
9 October 2019
Pope Francis
Cardinal-Priest

+ The last Jesuit Cardinals to die were Ján Chryzostom Korec, who died on October 24, 2015, and Albert Vanhoye, who died on July 29, 2021.

References

  1. "Is Pope Francis still a Jesuit?". 18 March 2013.
  2. "Jesuit Cardinals".
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