As the world mourns the loss of Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church now faces the solemn responsibility to select a worthy successor to lead the faithful. The process of selecting a new pope begins after a 15-day mourning period, following the traditional rituals that signify the end of a papacy.

Cardinals from around the globe descend on Rome and hold daily meetings known as general congregations to discuss Church matters and lay out the characteristics each believes the new pope should have.

However, only Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave to elect the new pope. Of the 252 Cardinals worldwide, 138 who meet the age requirement are eligible to vote in the papal election.

Currently, there are six Cardinals from India, of whom four are eligible to vote. Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry, both of whom are over 80, are ineligible to vote. Among the Cardinals eligible to vote, two are from Kerala: Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos (Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church) and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad. The other eligible Cardinals are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao and Cardinal Anthony Poola.

Major Archbishop Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos (65): Born in Kerala in 1960, he is the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church. Ordained as a priest in 1986, he served as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) from 2014 to 2018. Appointed a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, he also participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Cardinal George Jacob  Koovakad (51): Born in Kerala in 1973, he was appointed a Cardinal by Pope Francis in 2024. He has worked in the Vatican's Secretariat of State and was given the responsibility of coordinating the Pope's foreign trips in 2021.

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao (72): He is the Archbishop of Goa and Daman. Born in Aldona, Goa, in 1953, he was appointed a Cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022. He currently serves as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and is known for his efforts in promoting interfaith cooperation and social justice.

Cardinal Anthony Poola (64): The first Dalit Archbishop from India, he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad. Born in Andhra Pradesh in 1961, he was appointed a Cardinal by Pope Francis in August 2022. In a 2022 interview with Vatican News, he shared that he had to discontinue his schooling after the seventh grade due to poverty, but was able to continue his education with the support of missionaries.