Mon Apr 21 14:32:47 UTC 2025: ## Syro-Malabar Church Loses Voting Rights in Papal Election

**IDUKKI, KERALA –** The Syro-Malabar Church, a prominent Eastern Catholic church with 5.5 million members, will be without a voting representative in the upcoming papal conclave. This is due to Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the former head of the church, reaching the age of 80 on April 19th. Only cardinals under 80 are eligible to vote.

While other Indian cardinals will participate, none will represent the Syro-Malabar Church specifically. Cardinal Mar George Koovakkad, though originally from the Syro-Malabar Church, now serves the Latin Church. Fr. Antony Vadakkekara, Secretary of the Syro-Malabar Church’s Media Commission, noted that while cardinals from Kerala are considered part of a broader spiritual family, there is no official representation. Four Indian cardinals—Archbishop Antony Poola, Metropolitan Archbishop Filipe Neri, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, and Cardinal Koovakkad—retain voting rights.

The absence of a Syro-Malabar representative highlights the challenges Eastern Churches face in achieving proportional representation within the Catholic hierarchy. In the 2013 conclave, Cardinal Alencherry played a key role representing the church. His loss of voting eligibility underscores the impact of age restrictions on church representation in the election of the next Pope.

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