Pope Francis appointed 109 of the 135 cardinals who will elect the next pope.

[lapucelle]

25. There's only one cardinal from Ireland, and he's too old to vote.

A non-member of the College of Cardinals can be elected, but it's exceedingly unlikely.

Cardinal Seán Baptist Brady

In 1975, then Father Brady was involved in an internal Church inquiry into allegations of child abuse against priest Brendan Smyth. Brady, then a teacher, had the role of notary or note-taker during the enquiry. The process required all participants to maintain confidentiality. The children involved, including the victim, were made to sign vows of silence regarding the allegations. Crucially, the information, including a list Brady received of other potential victims, was not reported to civil authorities. Smyth continued to abuse children for many years after the enquiry. This incident came to light in 2010, leading to calls for Brady’s resignation.

Brady maintained that he fulfilled his duty as a notary and lacked the authority to stop Smyth. He expressed regret for being part of a culture of “deference and silence” but also stated that a BBC program on the scandal had “exaggerated and misrepresented” his role.

He has spoken out against same-sex unions and abortion in Ireland.

Cardinal Seán Brady retired from his position as Archbishop of Armagh on 8 September 2014, when Pope Francis accepted his resignation.

https://collegeofcardinalsreport.com/cardinals/sean-baptist-brady/