One of the 133 cardinals voting to decide who becomes the next pope of the Catholic Church has ties to western Iowa.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo led the Sioux City diocese as bishop for six years during the early 2000s. The 75-year-old is participating in his second conclave after being an elector during the 2013 papal conclave that selected Pope Francis, who died last month at the age of 88.
Here is what to know about DiNardo and how the Catholic Church decides its next pope.
When was Cardinal Daniel DiNardo the bishop of the Sioux City, Iowa diocese?
DiNardo assumed the role of the sixth bishop of Sioux City in November 1998.
DiNardo led the Sioux City diocese for nearly six years before heading to Texas to become the co-adjutor bishop at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston in January 2004. He assumed the archdiocese’s leadership in February 2006 and served until his retirement in January.
From 2016 to 2019, he also served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The cardinal has been accused of covering up and mishandling sexual abuse cases regarding his priests and children in both Iowa and Texas.
How does one become a conclave elector?
Cardinals — senior Church officials who typically lead major dioceses or hold key Vatican positions — are the only ones eligible to vote in a papal conclave. The only requirement is that they must be under the age of 80 at the time of the vacancy.
What is a papal conclave?
A papal conclave is an election of a new pope conducted by the College of Cardinals, which is composed of bishops and Vatican officials selected by the pope. The cardinals are tasked with voting for one of their colleagues to take over the role of pontiff.
Before voting, the cardinals discuss the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church. They then gather in St. Peter’s Basilica to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit on who should be the successor, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
For the actual election, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, take an oath of secrecy and seal the church’s doors. Each cardinal votes by secret ballot. During this process, the cardinal says a prayer and then drops his ballot in a large chalice, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
If one candidate does not receive a two-thirds majority vote, another election is held. This process is repeated until one candidate has received the necessary votes.
How long will the conclave be before a new pope is selected?
There is not a set timeframe for how long a conclave may take. Pope Francis was elected just one day after the 2013 conclave, but on the flip side, the longest conclave in history lasted nearly three years with the election of Pope Gregory X in 1271, according to EWTN Vatican.
A runoff vote may be held after 33 votes if a new pope isn’t chosen.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the Catholic cardinal voting in the 2025 conclave with ties to western Iowa
Reporting by Cooper Worth and Greta Cross, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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