Kochi, April 22 -- Four cardinals from India, including two from Kerala, are eligible to vote in the cardinals' conclave, expected to be held at the Vatican next week, to elect the new Pope following the death of Pope Francis, church sources said here.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, as per the regulations, they said.

Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, passed away on Monday at the age of 88.

Anthony Poola, the Archbishop of Hyderabad; Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman; Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara Church; and George Koovakkad, the newly appointed cardinal, are the four who can cast votes in the upcoming conclave, according to a church spokesperson.

"There are a total of 252 cardinals in the Church. Among them, those below 80 years of age can vote to elect the new Pope. Cardinals Cleemis and Koovakkad are the Keralites who will participate in the process," Fr Antony Vadakkekkara, Secretary of the Media Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church, told news agency.

The 64-year-old Cardinal Cleemis is the Major Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram and heads the prominent Syro-Malankara rite of the Catholic Church.

A native of Changanassery in the state, Cardinal Koovakkad (51) is the youngest cardinal from the country and currently serves as a Vatican official.

Interestingly, the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the most prominent Eastern Catholic Churches under the Holy See with around 5.5 million members, will have no role in the selection of the new Pope.

Cardinal Mar George Alencherry of the Syro-Malabar Church, who turned 80 a few days ago, is no longer eligible to take part in the upcoming conclave.

"Cardinal Alencherry had voted in the election to choose the Pope last time. But this time, he will not be able to attend, as he turned 80 just days ago," Vadakkekkara said.

When asked about the Syro-Malabar Church losing representation in the selection of the new Pope, he clarified that it is not a representative voting system.

"Once someone becomes a cardinal, he is entitled to vote. It is not a system of representing any particular denomination," the spokesperson added.

Koovakkad actually belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church, but as he is a Vatican official, he would technically be considered a representative of the Latin Church, he noted.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.