• HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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    6 hours ago

    The selection process is via an election of cardinals. Generally, if a small group elects someone for a position, that person usually comes from that voting group. Therefore, while not a requirement, an elected pope is generally a cardinal.

    Beyond that, a pope has great influence over the Catholic Church. It would be very remarkable that a young person could have that much influence over the cardinals to get elected. It could happen, but the likelihood is rare.