Thiruvananthapuram: Of the four Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the election of the next Pope, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, will be the two Keralites to be part of the strong college of cardinals. Cleemis is set to leave for the Vatican in the early hours of Tuesday from Thiruvananthapuram.

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis (64), is the Major Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram and heads the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church as Major Archbishop-Catholicos. He previously took part in the 2013 papal election that saw Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected as Pope Francis.

At 51, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad is the youngest among the Indian cardinals. Hailing from Changanassery, he serves as a Syro-Malabar archbishop and Vatican diplomat. He previously coordinated the overseas visits of Pope Francis. Ordained as a priest in 2004, he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in December last year. 

Cleemis recalled his long-standing association with Pope Francis. Reflecting on the 2013 conclave, he shared that his room was next to that of then-Cardinal Bergoglio, who was later elected Pope.

Pope Francis passed away early on Monday at his residence in the Vatican.

Traditional rite to declare death

According to custom, a private prayer session will be held at 11:30 p.m. IST on Monday, where the acting head cardinal will lead prayers in the presence of the immediate family members of the late Pope.
During the ritual, the acting Pope will call out Pope Francis’ baptismal name three times. With no response, the Vatican will formally declare the Pope’s death.

Funeral arrangements and Papal election process

On Wednesday morning, the mortal remains of Pope Francis will be brought to St. Peter’s Basilica for public homage.

The election of the next Pope is expected to take place early next month. All cardinals under the age of 80 will participate in the conclave, where they will be secluded from the outside world until a new Pope is elected.

To be chosen, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority vote. If no candidate achieves this in a round of voting, the ballots are burned and black smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating that voting continues. When a candidate is finally elected, white smoke signals the selection of the new Pope.

India currently has four cardinals eligible to vote. The other two Indian cardinals are 63-year-old Cardinal Anthony Poola, India’s first Dalit cardinal, and 72-year-old Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao.

Christian Presence in Kerala

Kerala is home to three Catholic rites: the Syro-Malabar, Latin, and Syro-Malankara Churches. These three denominations together account for more than 50 percent of the Christian population in the state. Christians make up about 17 percent of Kerala’s total population of 3.3 crore.

IANS