Australia’s youngest and only cardinal helps elect new pope in historic conclave

Cardinal Mykola Bychok is not only the youngest pope at conclave but the sole Australian representative. He reveals what it is like to be involved in this once-in-a-generation sacred time.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok has made history – twice.

At just 45, he was not only the youngest of the 133 cardinal-electors in the conclave that chose the successor to Pope Francis, but also the sole voice representing Australia at one of the most sacred events in the Catholic Church.

The Ukrainian-born Catholic Bishop of Melbourne, appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023, joined fellow electors under the frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel following the Novendiales — a nine-day mourning period after the death of the Catholic leader at age 88.

The conclave, cloaked in centuries-old ritual and secrecy, culminated in the election of a new pope.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok, second from left, arrives in procession for a mass during the days of mourning for late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican. Picture: AP Photo

“To be a young cardinal is a huge responsibility but actually God called me through Pope Francis,” Cardinal Bychok said days after the pontiff’s death.

Born in Ternopil, Ukraine in 1980, Cardinal Bychok entered monastic life at 17 and was ordained a priest at 25.

His pastoral path took him through Ukraine, Poland, Siberia and New Jersey in the US, before he arrived in Melbourne in 2020 to lead the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in North Melbourne.

Since then, he has become a key figure in Australia’s Ukrainian Catholic community, advocating for migrants and refugees while maintaining Eastern liturgical traditions in a Western context.

“As a newly appointed cardinal, this experience is still very new to me,” he said.

The funeral of Pope Francis, he said, was not only a farewell but a moment to reflect on the transformative impact the late pontiff had on the Church.

“We come here with sorrow, but not without hope … we entrust his soul to the boundless mercy of God,” he said.

“He (Pope Francis) himself often said, ‘The name of God is mercy.’ And indeed, if there was ever a pope who proclaimed, lived, and embodied God’s mercy, it was Francis.”

Australian-based cardinal Mykola Bychok voted for the new pope. Picture: Sophie Elsworth

Cardinal Bychok, who has spoken frequently about Ukraine’s ongoing suffering, had praised Pope Francis for his unwavering support during the war.

“For me, as a Ukrainian and as someone who ministers to Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, Pope Francis’ closeness to Ukraine has been especially moving,” he said.

“In our darkest hours, he did not forget us. He spoke often of our suffering. He prayed for peace.

“He wept with us … what the Pope offered was something uniquely Christian: a pastoral closeness, a fatherly concern, and an unceasing call for peace — not revenge, not escalation, but peace rooted in justice and reconciliation.”

Before entering the conclave, Cardinal Bychok reflected on the gravity of his role.

“This is a historic moment. For the Church. For the world. And for me, as a young cardinal, it is a moment of learning, of listening, and of standing in unity with my brothers from around the globe,” he said.

Australia may be far from Rome, but through Cardinal Bychok — who now looks ahead to serving under the new pope as he did under Francis — its voice helped shape the future direction of the Catholic Church.

Originally published as Australia’s youngest and only cardinal helps elect new pope in historic conclave