With just four days remaining before the upcoming Papal Conclave to elect a new pope, John Cardinal Njue has confirmed that he will not participate in the voting process. Despite being eligible, the Cardinal, who is currently 79 years old, has decided to withdraw from the conclave due to health reasons.

The Catholic News Agency reports that Cardinal Njue will not be traveling to the Vatican for the conclave, as 133 cardinal electors prepare to gather in Rome. The conclave will decide the successor to the late Pope Francis, following his passing in April, 2025.

The Vatican recently updated Cardinal Njue’s birthdate in the latest Pontifical Yearbook, which now lists it as January 1, 1946. This update confirms that the Archbishop Emeritus of Nairobi remains eligible to vote until he turns 80 on January 1, 2026, which is the age limit for cardinal electors.

Cardinal Njue was the second Kenyan prelate ever elevated to the rank of cardinal, following Cardinal Maurice Otunga. He was ordained a priest in 1973 by Pope Paul VI at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, for the Diocese of Meru. In 1986, Pope John Paul II appointed him the first bishop of the Diocese of Embu, where he served until 2002.

Before becoming a cardinal in 2007 under Pope Benedict XVI, Njue served as coadjutor archbishop of Nyeri and as apostolic administrator of Isiolo. He was also the head of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) for two terms, from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2015. His most notable participation in the conclave came in 2013 when he was part of the group of cardinals who elected Pope Francis.

In the upcoming conclave, Cardinal Njue’s absence is added to that of Spain’s Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, who also withdrew due to health reasons. This leaves 133 cardinals eligible to vote, and the next pope will require a two-thirds majority which is 89 votes to be elected.

The College of Cardinals has set May 7th, 2025 as the begining of the conclive to elect Pope Francis’ successor.