Daniel Ortega celebrates his re-inauguration as president of Nicaragua, Jan. 10, 2012. / Cancilleria del Ecuador via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Vatican City, Mar 12, 2022 / 05:10 am (CNA).
The Nicaraguan government has ended its approval for a Vatican diplomat in the country, requiring his immediate departure, the Vatican said on Saturday.
In a March 12 statement the Vatican called the decision an “incomprehensible” and “unjustified unilateral measure.”
“The Holy See has received with great surprise and regret the communication that the Government of Nicaragua has decided to withdraw the approval (agrément) of H.E. Mons. Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, Apostolic Nuncio in Managua since 2018,” the Vatican said.
The 54-year-old Polish archbishop has been in the diplomatic service of the Holy See since 2000. He ended his service as apostolic nuncio to Nicaragua and left the country on March 6, according to the nunciature. Crux reports that Sommertag is now in Rome.
The Vatican said on Saturday that the archbishop was required to leave Nicaragua by the government of Daniel Ortega.
“Such a measure appears incomprehensible because throughout his mission H.E. Mgr. Sommertag has worked with deep dedication for the good of the Church and the Nicaraguan people, especially of the most vulnerable people, always seeking to foster good relations between the Apostolic See and the Nicaraguan authorities,” the Holy See said.
The Vatican pointed in particular to Sommertag’s participation as a witness in the 2019 National Dialogue between the government and political opposition.
“While convinced that this grave and unjustified unilateral measure does not reflect the feelings of the deeply Christian people of Nicaragua, the Holy See wishes to reaffirm its full confidence in the Pontifical Representative,” it stated.
The expulsion of the nuncio marks a further deterioration of the diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Ortega’s government.
In November 2021, Nicaraguan authorities issued a decree stripping Sommertag of the role and title of dean of the diplomatic corps. In traditionally Catholic countries, the position is often held automatically by the papal nuncio.
Reuters reported that some diplomatic sources thought the move was tied to the outspoken support for democracy by the Catholic Church in Nicaragua in recent years, especially leading up to elections.
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Cardinals follow the ceremony during the ordinary public consistory for the creation of new cardinals at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Dec. 7, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 11:09 am (CNA).
At the upcoming papal conclave, set to begin May 7, the College of Cardinals will include several notably young members who have traveled to Rome from across the world, from Mongolia to Australia.
Among the 135 cardinals who are eligible to vote in a conclave, 15 of them are under the age of 60.
Historically, the age of cardinals participating in papal conclaves has varied. One of the youngest was Cardinal Alfonso Gesualdo di Conza, who attended the 1565–1566 conclave at the age of 25.
In more recent times, during the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, was the youngest cardinal elector at 53. In the upcoming conclave, there are six cardinals the same age or younger.
Three of the youngest cardinals who will take part in the Conclave: Americo Manuel (51), from Portugal; Cardenal Mykola (45), Ukrainian Greek Catholic cardinal from Australia; and Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, (50), from Mongolia. They took a selfie yesterday in St Peter’s Basilica. pic.twitter.com/8rNa3vUWwA
The five youngest cardinals lead sees in Australia, Mongolia, Portugal, and Canada as well as a dicastery of the Roman Curia. Two of them are Eastern-rite Catholics. Three were made cardinals in the last consistory before the conclave.
Here are the five youngest cardinals who will help select the next pope:
Cardinal Mykola Bychok, 45
Born on Feb. 13, 1980, in Ternopil, Ukraine, Bychok felt the call to the priesthood at the age of 15. He joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists) in 1997, inspired by their missionary zeal. His service has been extensive, including roles as a missionary in Russia, parish priest, and provincial bursar in Ukraine as well as vicar of the Ukrainian Catholic Parish of St. John the Baptist in Newark, New Jersey.
Bishop Mykola Bychok, CSSR, speaks to journalists ahead of being made a cardinal on Dec. 6, 2024. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic prelate has served as eparch of Sts. Peter and Paul of Melbourne, Australia, since 2020. Credit: EWTN News
In January 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as the eparchial bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul in Melbourne, Australia. His episcopal consecration took place on June 7, 2020. Bychok has worked to foster community among the Ukrainian diaspora in Australia and to increase youth engagement within the Church.
On Dec. 7, 2024, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals, making him the current world’s youngest cardinal.
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, 50
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, born on June 7, 1974, in Cuneo, Italy, has been a Consolata missionary in Mongolia since 2003. He was ordained a priest in 2001 and appointed apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar in 2020.
Cardinal Giorgio Marengo was one of the first to welcome Pope Francis to Mongolia on Sept. 1, 2023. Marengo is an Italian cardinal who has served as a missionary in Mongolia for nearly 20 years. He is the current apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Credit: Vatican Media
Pope Francis created him a cardinal on Aug. 27, 2022, making him the youngest member of the College of Cardinals at the time at age 48. He welcomed Pope Francis to Mongolia in 2023 as the first pope to ever visit the country. Marengo is fluent in Mongolian, Italian, and English.
Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves, 51
Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves, born on Dec. 12, 1973, is the bishop of Setúbal, Portugal. Before entering the priesthood, Aguiar had a brief political career, serving as a town councilor under the Socialist Party. He was ordained a priest at the age of 27 in 2001 and went on to serve in roles such as vicar general and communication director for the Diocese of Porto. He became the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon in 2019 and gained recognition for his leadership in organizing the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon, which drew over 1.5 million attendees.
Pope Francis made him a cardinal in late 2023.
Cardinal Américo Manuel Aguiar Alves. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, born on Aug. 11, 1973, in Kerala, India, is a Vatican diplomat and Syro-Malabar archbishop. His diplomatic career included assignments in various countries, including Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. In July 2020, Koovakad returned to Rome to work as an official in the Secretariat of State. He was responsible for organizing Pope Francis’ international travels from 2021 to 2024.
Indian Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad of the Syro-Malabar Church, official of the Secretariat of State and organizer of papal trips, was created a cardinal by Pope Francis during the consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 7, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
The pope elevated Koovakad to cardinal on Dec. 7, 2024, and appointed him as prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in January.
Cardinal Francis Leo, 53
Cardinal Francis “Frank” Leo, born on June 30, 1971, in Montreal to Italian immigrant parents, is the current archbishop of Toronto. He was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Montreal in 1996. Leo holds a doctorate in systematic theology with a specialization in Mariology from the University of Dayton. He served as the general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2015 to 2021 and was appointed archbishop of Toronto in 2023, an archdiocese with a population of about 2 million Catholics.
Pope Francis made Leo a cardinal in December 2024.
Cardinal Francis Leo of Toronto was created a cardinal by Pope Francis during the consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 7, 2024. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
St. Joseph carrying the Child Jesus on the left arm by Pieter van Lint. / Public Domain.
Vatican City, May 1, 2021 / 07:50 am (CNA).
The Vatican’s divine worship office announced Saturday the addition of seven new invocations to the Litany of St… […]
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