KOCHI: Four Indian cardinals, including two Keralites, are part of the 120-strong College of Cardinals who will attend a secret conclave to choose the next pope.
The Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, 72, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies; Thiruvananthapuram-based Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in history; and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, who had been coordinating Pope Francis’ foreign trips since 2021
Only cardinals aged below 80 years can vote in conclave
Koovakad was elevated to the cardinalate in December 2024 and appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in January 2025. Only cardinals aged below 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave.
Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Church, turned 80 on April 19. He participated as a cardinal-elector in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.
During the conclave, Alencherry was one of the four cardinal-electors from outside the Latin Church who wore different vestments, proper to their respective churches. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, turned 80 last December.
The conclave typically begins 15-20 days after the pope’s death, allowing time for the cardinals to travel to Rome. The exact date is set by the College of Cardinals, likely within a week of the funeral.