Edition of 13 November 2026
Conclavoscope The College of Cardinals under the lens
Portrait of Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas

Elector

Rolandas Makrickas

Lithuanian cardinal, administrator of St. Peter's Basilica, known for his administrative work and loyalty to the Holy See, with a balanced approach between tradition and pastoral modernity.

Country
Lithuania
Born
31 January 1972 (54 years)
Created cardinal
by Francis, on 7 December 2024
Status
Elector · Elector until 31 January 2052

Overall position 44/100 · Moderately progressive

Positions on six themes

How are these scores established?
Six-score profile of Rolandas Makrickas Moral doctrine 5/10, Liturgy and tradition 5/10, Socio-political engagement 5/10, Stance on Francis's reforms 3/10, Interreligious dialogue 5/10, Communication and pastoral style 3/10 Doctrine Liturgy Socio-pol. Reforms Dialogue Pastoral 5 10
Rolandas Makrickas College average

Each theme is scored from 0 (very progressive) to 10 (very conservative). The overall score, out of 100, weights the six themes.

  1. Moral doctrine · 25 %

    5/10

    Cardinal Makrickas has not, to our knowledge, made public statements on contested moral questions such as same-sex blessings, remarriage or abortion. A career Holy See diplomat since 2006, he has no documented stance on these topics, so he is rated at the centre.

    Sources (1)

  2. Liturgy and tradition · 20 %

    5/10

    As archpriest of St. Mary Major he presides over major liturgies, such as the opening of the Holy Door on 1 January 2025, and has spoken of making the basilica chapter a praying community focused on prayer, pastoral care and liturgy. He has no known position on the older Mass or Traditionis custodes.

    Sources (2)

  3. Socio-political engagement · 15 %

    5/10

    Cardinal Makrickas has made few public statements on political or social questions. In a 2022 interview he recalled Pope Francis's remarks on refugees and the welcome given to emigrants in Nordic countries, and at the 2025 Holy Door opening he said no one is excluded from the path of hope. No distinct personal programme is documented.

    Sources (2)

  4. Stance on Francis's reforms · 20 %

    3/10

    Pope Francis appointed Makrickas extraordinary commissioner of St. Mary Major in 2021, archpriest-designate in 2024 and cardinal in December 2024, and entrusted him with preparing his tomb in the basilica. Makrickas has described Francis as unafraid to encourage careful reshaping of old structures, and in 2025 recounted the pope's request to make the tomb simple.

    Sources (3)

  5. Interreligious dialogue · 10 %

    5/10

    No public statement or initiative by Cardinal Makrickas on interreligious dialogue or the Abu Dhabi Document has been found. His diplomatic postings are documented, but not any specific engagement on this theme, so he is rated at the centre.

    Sources (1)

  6. Communication and pastoral style · 10 %

    3/10

    Makrickas speaks warmly and often with humour in interviews, and his homilies use accessible imagery, such as the bell and the star of Bethlehem. He is not a frequent media presence and has declined to discuss the future in a 2025 broadcast, saying everything is in God's hands.

    Sources (3)

Career

Ecclesiastical offices and appointments, from Wikidata. Dates come from the sources and some may be missing.

  1. 2021 – 2024Special commissioner
  2. 2023 – 2024Titular archbishop
  3. since 2024Cardinal-deacon
  4. since 2025Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Episcopal consecration
11 February 2023
Consecrators
Pietro Parolin, Stanisław Ryłko, Édgar Peña Parra
Languages spoken
English, Italian, Lithuanian

References

Similar profiles

The cardinals whose six scores are closest.