Two Cardinals withdraw from Conclave to elect new Pope creating brighter chances for Nigeria’s Cardinal Peter Okpalaeke

Two Catholic cardinals will miss next week’s conclave to elect a new pope because of health issues, bringing the number of electors expected to 133, the Vatican said today.

The Vatican did not name them but a source at the archdiocese of Valencia confirmed to our correspondent that its Archbishop Emeritus, Cardinal Antonio Canizares, would not be attending the conclave due to health reasons, reports AFP.

A total of 135 cardinals are eligible to vote in the secret ceremony in the Sistine Chapel, which begins on May 7 and is expected to last for several days.

•These are some potential cardinals predicted to be next Pope:

If all the others attend, there will be 133 cardinals present.

The winner to succeed Pope Francis will require at least a two-thirds majority, a figure that now falls to 89.