The body responsible for electing the next pope has returned to its canonical size for the first time in months, drawing renewed attention to how Pope Leo XIV will shape the future leadership of the Catholic Church. With the number of cardinal electors now standing at 120 – the traditional limit set in modern canon law – the timing and direction of the Pontiff’s next appointments are likely to carry long-term significance for global Catholic governance.
The milestone was reached on April 15, when Fernando Filoni turned 80, thereby losing his right to vote in a papal conclave under the rules governing the College of Cardinals. His transition brought the number of eligible electors to exactly 120 – the maximum established by Paul VI in the 1975 apostolic constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo.
