Cardinals from Kerala to attend Rome conclave

KOCHI: The two cardinals from Kerala, Mar George Alencherry and Mar BaseliosCleemis, who are part of the conclave to elect the new Pope, would leave for Vatican in the coming days. While Cleemis would depart on Sunday, Alencherry would leave on Monday. Alencherry and Cleemis would attend the Pope's last audience to be conducted on February 27 and would return after the new Pope assumes charge.
The conclave, which would bring together 117 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, is expected to be held before March 15.
Cleemis is currently attending the annual priests' meeting in Kanyakumari, said the officials of the Syro-Malankara church, while Alencherry is busy with a few official programmes in Kochi and would be attending a function in Bharananganam on Friday.
"We have not yet decided who all would accompany the cardinal on the trip. He would return by the end of next month," said the officials of the Syro-Malabar Church.
According to Vatican, all 117 cardinals across the world have already started the process for electing the new Pope. They are consulting each other to shortlist and select a person who would become the supreme head of the catholic community. Once the Pope is elected by the conclave, he would be formally installed in a solemn ceremony which would also be attended by all cardinals.
It is expected that the new Pope would be installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so that he would be able to lead the Holy Week services.