Ethan Walker
As of April 2025, there are six Catholic cardinals in India, four of whom are eligible to vote in the Conclave to elect a new Pope. The death of Pope Francis was announced on April 21, 2025, and the College of Cardinals, comprising all Cardinals of the Catholic Church, will soon convene in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope. The four Indian cardinals who will be part of this conclave are Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Cardinal Anthony Poola, and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Cardinals in India | 6 |
| Number of Indian Cardinals eligible to vote in the Conclave | 4 |
| Names of Cardinals | Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Cardinal George Koovakad, Cardinal George Alencherry, Cardinal Anthony Poola |
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What You'll Learn
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao
There are currently four Catholic cardinals in India. One of them is Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, the Metropolitan Archbishop Patriarch of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. Born on January 20, 1953, in Mapusa, Goa, he is the youngest of three children. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Papal Seminary in Pune and was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman on October 28, 1979. During his priestly ministry, he has held various offices, including parish vicar, seminary prefect, and lecturer at Our Lady Minor Seminary in Saligao-Pilerne.
Cardinal Ferrao has also served as a member of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI). In both organizations, he has chaired the Laity Commission. He was the ex-chairman of the Justice, Development, and Peace Commission of the Western Region Bishop's Council and vice-chairman of the Western Region Social Service Forum.
On May 29, 2022, Pope Francis announced his plan to make Ferrao a cardinal, and on August 27, 2022, he officially elevated him to the position, assigning him the title of Santa Maria in Via. Cardinal Ferrao is known for his pastoral approach, with a particular focus on family ministry. He regularly visits parishes in his archdiocese, addressing families, and offering spiritual support. He has a special interest in youth and children, encouraging them to become good citizens and members of the Church.
In addition to his pastoral work, Cardinal Ferrao has expressed strong views on environmental issues and climate change, in line with Pope Francis' stance. He has also demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting interreligious dialogue, which has sometimes provoked controversy. In 2021, he encouraged his clergy to visit idols of Ganesha during the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which some criticized as "radical religious relativism." However, Cardinal Ferrao defended his actions as promoting reciprocal respect between different religious traditions.
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Cardinal Baselios Cleemis
As of my information cutoff date of January 1, 2023, there are six Catholic cardinals in India. One of them is Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, who was born Isaac Thottumkal on June 15, 1960, in Mukkoor, Mallappally, in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India. He is a prominent figure in the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and currently serves as the Major Archbishop -Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum.
Baselios Cleemis was unanimously elected as the Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in February 2007. Pope Benedict XVI approved the election on February 9, and Baselios Cleemis assumed his new role on February 10, 2007, at St. Mary's Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI on November 24, 2012.
As a cardinal, one of Baselios Cleemis' main focuses has been promoting interreligious dialogue to foster peace, mutual understanding, and cooperation among different faith communities in India and beyond. He has also shown a strong commitment to ecumenical efforts, particularly within the context of Eastern Christianity and its relationship with the Roman Catholic Church. Baselios Cleemis has emphasized the importance of unity among Eastern Churches, especially those with roots in India, stating that they should work together to preserve their unique traditions while maintaining communion with Rome. He has participated in various ecumenical meetings and initiatives to foster greater understanding and cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Baselios Cleemis participated as a cardinal elector in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, making history as the first cardinal from the Syro-Malankara Church to do so. He also participated in the 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
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Cardinal Oswald Gracias
There are currently five Catholic cardinals in India, one of whom is Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Bombay. Born in 1944, Gracias was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI. He was created Cardinal-Priest of San Paolo della Croce a Corviale at a consistory in St. Peter's Basilica.
Gracias has held several prominent positions within the Catholic Church in India. In 2008, he was elected as the 1st vice president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), having previously served as its secretary-general. He was also appointed by Pope Benedict to the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. In 2018, he was elected president of the CBCI for a two-year term.
Cardinal Gracias has been a strong advocate for certain causes within the Church. He endorsed the teaching of yoga in Catholic schools in Agra and Mumbai, believing it enhances one's sense of well-being and communion with God. He also affirmed the Church's stance against mercy killing, expressing relief when the Indian Supreme Court rejected a plea for the mercy killing of a nurse in a semi-comatose state.
In 2013, Cardinal Gracias participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis. Subsequently, he was appointed to the Council of Cardinal Advisers, a group established by Pope Francis to advise him and study plans for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia. Pope Francis renewed Gracias's term on this council in 2020. On January 25, 2025, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Bombay.
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Cardinal George Koovakad
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, born on 11 August 1973, is an Indian Cardinal of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He is the first Indian priest to be directly appointed as a cardinal, also known as a "Prince of the Church". Pope Francis appointed Koovakad as a cardinal on 7 December 2024, making him the sixth Indian cardinal.
Koovakad was born in Chethipuzha, in the municipality of Changanacherry, Kottayam district, Kerala. He earned his intermediate and bachelor's degrees in chemistry from SB College, Changanassery, in 1994, where he was also the president of the Catholic Students Movement. He was ordained as a priest in 2004 and moved to Rome, where he received a doctorate in canon law in 2006 from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
Koovakad entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2006 and held various positions in nunciatures in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela until 2020. He then joined the Vatican's Secretariat of State in 2020 and became the coordinator for papal travels in late 2021. In this role, he was responsible for planning and organizing Pope Francis' overseas trips, including visits to Canada, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and a four-nation tour of Asia and Oceania.
On 25 October 2024, Pope Francis appointed Koovakad as the titular archbishop of Nisibis of the Chaldeans, and he received his episcopal consecration on 24 November 2024 in Changanassery Cathedral. As a cardinal, Koovakad is now eligible to vote in the conclave that chooses a new pope. He was appointed as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue on 24 January 2025 and continues to serve as the head of the Journeys Section of the Secretariat of State.
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Cardinal Anthony Poola
There are currently five Catholic cardinals in India. One of them is Cardinal Anthony Poola, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad. Born on November 15, 1961, in Chindukur, Durvesi Parish, in the Diocese of Kurnool, Cardinal Poola was forced to leave school after the seventh grade due to poverty. However, with the help of missionaries, he was able to continue his education and attended the Minor Seminary in Nuzvid before studying at St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore. He was ordained as a priest on February 20, 1992, and incardinated in the Diocese of Cuddapah.
From 2008 to 2020, Cardinal Poola served as the Bishop of Kurnool. During his tenure, he was responsible for the establishment of several new parishes and the renovation of various religious structures. He also produced Telugu devotional audio cassettes, wrote lyrics in Telugu, composed songs, and conducted choirs.
On November 19, 2020, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Poola as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad. His installation ceremony took place on January 3, 2021. As the Archbishop of Hyderabad, Cardinal Poola has continued his religious and creative endeavours.
On August 27, 2022, Pope Francis elevated Cardinal Poola to the position of cardinal priest, assigning him the title of Santi Protomartiri a Via Aurelia Antica. He became the first Dalit and the first Telugu to be named a cardinal. As a cardinal elector, he participated in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
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