The other reason for Cardinal Tagle’s promotion

Catholic Herald, 12 May 2020

With life expectancy increasing, the challenge for the Church is to ensure that governance is not dominated by the very elderly.

The news that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle had been raised to the rank of “cardinal-bishop” by Pope Francis was greeted almost everywhere as a sign of papal favour for a future conclave. Perhaps. But popes don’t get to choose their successors, as Benedict XVI discovered in 2013, when the signs of papal favour all pointed toward Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan.

The elevation is part of a longstanding attempt by the Church to deal with increasing longevity. What is to be done when prelates routinely live into their late 80s or even 90s? How to move elderly bishops off stage?

The first two major steps were taken by St Paul VI, both of them earthquakes at the time. He first introduced a retirement age in 1966; all bishops must submit a resignation letter upon turning 75. The pope can choose when to accept it, but after 75 a bishop can be retired at any time. When introduced it was greeted by vociferous opposition in some quarters, likened to ecclesial patricide or spiritual euthanasia. Now it is entirely uncontroversial.

In 1970, Paul VI put an age limit on cardinals. At 80 they can no longer serve on Roman congregations and lose their right to enter a conclave. The first conclave with the age limit took place in 1978 and there were 15 over-80 cardinals who were non-electors. By 2005, there were 66 cardinals too old to vote. By 2013, there were 90 non-electors. If a conclave were to take place now, there would be 101 cardinals over 80. The next conclave could very easily take place with more cardinals over-80 than under. With a limit of 120 electors in the conclave, without an age limit new cardinals would be very few indeed.

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