Pope Francis passed away at age 88 on Monday, April 21, 2025, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. His death has initiated the Novendiale, the traditional nine-day mourning period, and placed the Catholic Church in “sede vacante” (vacant seat) status until a new pontiff is elected.
According to Vatican sources, 135 of the world’s 252 Cardinals are eligible to vote in the upcoming Conclave, with Cardinals above 80 years disqualified from participation. Among these electors are four prelates from India, representing the country’s significant Catholic population in the selection of the next leader of the global Church.
India’s Four Cardinal Electors
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, 72, serves as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Goa and Daman, while also presiding over both the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. Elevated to cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022, he recently shared that the late pontiff “had a special love for India and longed to visit the country.” Cardinal Ferrao highlighted that during Francis’s papacy, five Indians were canonized as saints: St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, St. Euphrasia Eluvathingal, St. Joseph Vaz, St. Mariam Thresia Chiramel, and St. Devasahayam Pillai.
Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, leads the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church as Major Archbishop of Trivandrum. Born in Kerala in 1960 and ordained in 1986, he previously served as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India from 2014 to 2018. Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to cardinal in 2012, making him a participant in the 2013 Conclave that elected Pope Francis. Reflecting on the Pope’s passing, Cardinal Cleemis told reporters, “My assessment was always that he would die with the people. And that’s exactly what happened. Yesterday, on Easter, he met thousands of people at St Peter’s Square. And this morning, he has gone home.”
Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad, made history as India’s first Dalit cardinal when Pope Francis appointed him in August 2022. Born in Andhra Pradesh in 1961, he has spoken about how missionary support helped him continue his education after poverty forced him to leave school in seventh grade, inspiring his commitment to helping disadvantaged children.
The youngest Indian elector, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, was born in Kerala and appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in 2024. He serves as Cardinal-Deacon of S. Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia and Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. His Vatican career includes work at the Secretariat of State and, since 2021, responsibility for organizing papal international journeys.
Indian Cardinals Not Eligible to Vote
Two senior Indian prelates exceed the age limit for participation in the Conclave. Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, 81, served as president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2005-2011) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2010-2014). Cardinal George Alencherry, 80, Major Archbishop emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, reached the age threshold just days before Pope Francis’s death, having turned 80 on April 19.
Despite being unable to vote, Cardinal Alencherry announced he would attend the papal funeral. He remembered Pope Francis as “one who used not only his brain but also his heart to communicate with the people. He used the papal position as a mode of service for the cause of the poor, marginalized, orphans and refugees.”
The Conclave Process
The Conclave will likely begin two to three weeks after the funeral. During this period, eligible cardinals will be sequestered in the Sistine Chapel and cut off from outside communication. Voting can occur up to four times daily until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority.
The world will watch for smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel chimney—black smoke indicating an inconclusive vote, white smoke announcing a successful election. The new Pope will then be introduced with the traditional “Habemus Papam” (“We have a Pope”) proclamation before appearing on St. Peter’s Basilica’s central balcony.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was the first Latin American pontiff. His final public appearance came on Easter Sunday, when, despite his illness, he addressed the faithful from the same balcony where he was introduced as Pope in March 2013 following Benedict XVI’s historic resignation.
The participation of four Indian Cardinals in this Conclave represents significant representation for the Indian Catholic community, which continues to grow in importance within the global Church. Their diverse backgrounds - spanning different rites, regions, and castes of India - demonstrate the rich tapestry of Indian Catholicism that will help shape the future leadership of the worldwide Catholic faithful.
