Jesuit cardinal
priests at the time of their solemn and final profession in the Society of Jesus promise to "never strive or ambition, not even indirectly, to be chosen or promoted to any prelacy or dignity in or outside the Society; and I will do my best never to consent to my election unless I am forced to do so by obedience to him who can order me under penalty of sin."
Yet because of various reasons and in different circumstances—for example, need of a bishop in an area where the Church has still to be developed, recognition of a theologian's outstanding contribution to theological reflection, etc.—several Jesuits have been made bishops or even cardinals. In such cases they remain only nominally Jesuit, as they lose active and passive voice within the Order and are no longer under the obedience of the Superior General. In 2013 the first Jesuit pope was elected, Pope Francis.
The following is a complete list of contemporary living Jesuit cardinals. Three of them are above 80 years of age and thus are ineligible as a papal elector. Another four are not yet above the age of 80 and thus are currently eligible to serve as papal electors.
| Current Jesuit Cardinals | Date of Birth Current Age | Elevated to Cardinal | Order |
Pedro Cardinal Barreto, S. J. Archbishop of Huancayo | February 12, 1944 ' | June 28, 2018 Pope Francis | Cardinal-Priest |
Michael F. Cardinal Czerny, S. J. Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development | July 18, 1946 ' | October 9, 2019 Pope Francis | Cardinal-Priest |
Julius Riyadi Cardinal Darmaatmadja, S. J. Archbishop Emeritus of Jakarta | December 20, 1934 ' | November 26, 1994 Pope John Paul II | Cardinal-Priest |
Luis Cardinal Ladaria Ferrer, S. J. Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith | April 19, 1944 ' | June 28, 2018 Pope Francis | Cardinal-Deacon |
Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich, S. J. Archbishop of Luxembourg | August 9, 1958 ' | October 9, 2019 Pope Francis | Cardinal-Priest |
Sigitas Cardinal Tamkevičius, S. J. Archbishop Emeritus of Kaunas | November 7, 1938 ' | October 9, 2019 Pope Francis | Cardinal-Priest |
Albert Cardinal Vanhoye, S. J. priest | July 23, 1923 | March 24, 2006 Pope Benedict XVI | Cardinal-Deacon |
+ The last Jesuit Cardinal to die was Ján Chryzostom Korec, who died on October 24, 2015.