Pope Francis passes away: Four Indian cardinals will be part of Vatican conclave to elect next pope

Four Indian cardinals will be part of the conclave that will elect the new leader for the 1.3 billion Catholics all over the world. The preparations for the conclave have been set in motion after the passing away of Pope Francis on April 21. 

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal Anthony Poola and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad will be among the electors participating in the process.

Cardinal Ferrao, 72, is the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies. He also serves as the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. Cardinal Cleemis, 64, is Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and President of the Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church.

Cardinal Poola, 63, is the Archbishop of Hyderabad. He had made history as the first Dalit cardinal. Cardinal Koovakad, 51, is the Cardinal-Deacon of S. Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia, and Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. 

THE NEXT POPE

Pope Francis’ death has prompted speculation among Roman Catholics worldwide about his successor. The focus is on the red-robed cardinals, with expectations that the next pope could be a non-European, similar to Francis, and possibly a progressive leader.

The election process, which will commence after the burial of Francis, is expected to be highly secretive. The world will only know a new pope has been chosen when white smoke emerges from the Sistine Chapel chimney. Cardinals, who are the pope's close collaborators, are responsible for running key Vatican departments and dioceses globally. Those under 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave to elect the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The cardinals will decide the conclave's start date as they gather in Rome.

Only a pope can appoint cardinals, and his choices can influence the Church long after his tenure, as these senior clerics may eventually become pope. As of April 21, there were 252 cardinals, with 135 eligible to vote. Of these, 108 were appointed by Francis, 22 by Benedict, and five by John Paul II.

Cardinals are "created" during consistories, where they receive a ring, a red biretta, and pledge loyalty to the pope, symbolised by the colour red, indicating their readiness to sacrifice. Pope Francis held 10 consistories, increasing the likelihood of a non-European successor by strengthening the Church in regions where it is a minority or growing rapidly.