Shortly after the burial of Pope Francis, the procedure for electing a new head of the Catholic Church will begin. Ukrainian Mykola Bychok, who is the youngest cardinal of the Vatican and heads the diocese of the UGCC in Melbourne, is among the potential candidates for the post of pontiff. About this informs The Week UK.
The funeral of Pope Francis, who has ruled the Holy See for the past 12 years, is scheduled for Saturday, April 26. Already at the beginning of May, the conclave starts — the process of electing a new Pope. Cardinals under the age of 80 have the right to vote at the secret meeting in the Sistine Chapel. There are currently 138 of them.
Voting will begin between the 15th and 20th day after the death of the pontiff. Each cardinal writes the name of the candidate on the ballot, which he drops into the ballot box. A two-thirds vote is required to elect a new Pope. Ballots are burned after each round of voting. If black smoke rises above the chapel, it means that the decision has not been made; white smoke – a new Pope has been elected. Up to four rounds of voting can take place in one day.
Among the likely candidates for the papal throne is Bishop Mykola Bychok, head of the Melbourne Diocese of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Australia.
Mykola Bychok was born on February 13, 1980 in Ternopil. After finishing school, he chose a spiritual path and joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). In 2005, he was ordained a priest. He conducted his pastoral ministry in Poland, the USA and Russia, in particular in the Siberian city of Prokopyevsk at the parish of the Mother of God of Perpetual Help.
From 2015 to 2020, he served in the city of Newark, New Jersey, USA, and later moved to Australia, where he was appointed bishop of the Melbourne Diocese of the UGCC. On December 7, 2024, Pope Francis made him a cardinal, making him the youngest member of the College of Cardinals at the age of 44.
Bishop Bychko’s congregation in Australia consists mainly of Greek Catholics — refugees from the Balkans and Ukraine who fled the war with Russia. In his sermons, he actively supports the Ukrainian community.
