Rome, Feb 26: While Pope Francis’s condition remains critical and currently undergoing treatment at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, discussion about the Roman Catholic’s future leadership intensifies.
Preparation are being made for a potential papal conclave, which, if convened, will see 138 cardinals out of which 4 Indian cardinals under age of 80 are eligible to vote for the next pontiff.
Transitions of papal power only occur upon the death or resignation of a pope.
The Camerlengo, currently Cardinal Kevin Farrell, will oversee the conclave in the Sistine Chapel, adhering to centuries-old traditions. All voting cardinals will take an oath of secrecy and be secluded from the outside world.
According to Catholic Church laws, only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave. Out of 252 cardinals, 138 are eligible, according to the College of Cardinals Report website.
During the conclave, each cardinal writes the name of their preferred candidate on a ballot, which is then folded and placed in a chalice beneath Michelangelo’s Last Judgement fresco. Three cardinals are chosen to record and count the votes. Voting occurs four times daily until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. White smoke is released to signal the election of a new pope, accompanied by the Latin phrase “Habemus Papam” which means “We have a Pope”.
India has six cardinals, but soon, Cardinals George Alencherry (79) and Oswald Gracias (80) will be too old to vote. After April 19, 2025, Alencherry will no longer be eligible.
The four Indian cardinals who will vote are:
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao (72): Patriarch of the East Indies and Archbishop of Goa and Daman. Advocates for social justice, migration, climate change, family ministry, and interreligious dialogue. Promoted on August 27, 2022.
Cardinal Cleemis Baselios (64): Major Archbishop of Trivandrum and Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Promoted on November 24, 2012.
Cardinal Anthony Poola (63): India’s first Dalit Cardinal. Focuses on assisting underprivileged children and addressing caste-based injustices.
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad (51): Vatican diplomat and Syro Malabar Archbishop from Kerala. Appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in January 2025. Promoted on December 7, 2024.
In the 2013 papal election, Indian cardinals Telesphore Toppo, Oswald Gracias, Mar George Alencherry, Mar Baselios Cheemis, and Ivan Dias voted to appoint Pope Francis.
Pope Francis was elected on March 13, 2023, after Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, he was admitted to the hospital on February 14 with respiratory issues. While his condition has slightly improved, doctors states condition as critical given his age, fragility, and pre-existing lung disease.
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