No Syro-Malabar representation in upcoming papal election as Cardinal Alencherry turns 80

The Hindu

21-04-2025

Even as the prospects of next papal election are on the horizon in Rome, the Syro-Malabar Church — one of the most prominent Eastern Catholic churches under the Holy See — finds itself without a voting representative. Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the former head of the Syro-Malabar Church, turned 80 on April 19, thereby losing his eligibility to vote in the conclave.
According to Church protocol, only cardinals under the age of 80 are permitted to vote in the papal conclave, which decides the next pope. This leaves the Syro-Malabar Church, despite its sizeable community of 5.5 million members, without a voice in the selection process.
Fr. Antony Vadakkekara, Secretary of the Media Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church, noted that Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara rite of the Catholic Church and Cardinal Mar George Koovakkad will participate in the upcoming conclave. 'Although we cannot officially consider Mar Koovakkad as a representative of the Syro-Malabar Church, we still regard cardinals from Kerala as part of our broader spiritual family,' Fr. Vadakkekara said.
Eligible to vote
He also clarified that there are currently four cardinals from India eligible to vote in the conclave: Archbishop Antony Poola of the Hyderabad Archdiocese, Metropolitan Archbishop Filipe Neri of Goa, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of the Malankara Church, and Cardinal Koovakkad.
However, Mar Koovakkad, though originally from the Syro-Malabar Church under the Changanacherry Archdiocese, now serves as a cardinal of the Latin Church and will not represent the Syro-Malabar Church in the election.
During the 2013 papal election that saw Pope Francis elected, both Mar George Alencherry of the Syro-Malabar Church and Mar Baselios Cleemis from the Malankara Church had voting rights. 'In that conclave, Mar Alencherry was the face of the Syro-Malabar Church in Rome. Had his 80th birthday fallen a few days later, he might have been able to cast his vote in the upcoming election as well,' a Church source observed.
The Syro-Malabar Church, based in Kerala, remains one of the most influential Eastern Catholic communities under the Holy See. However, the absence of a voting representative in the next conclave underscores the challenges Eastern Churches face in securing proportional representation within the global Catholic hierarchy.