Kochi: Catholics in Kerala were elated as Mar George Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, was on Saturday ordained a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Many of the Catholics, who form 50 per cent of the over seven million Christians in Kerala, were glued to the live coverage from the Vatican as Alencherry was ordained by the Pope along with 21 other bishops from various countries.
Alencherry, 66, becomes the youngest cardinal in the country and the fourth Keralite to be ordained.
Counting Alencherry, there are now six cardinals in India, of whom three are above 80 years and hence do not have voting rights to elect a pope. However, Alencherry and the two others will be among the 120 cardinals who form the electoral college for the pope's election.
Syro-Malabar Church spokesperson, Father Paul Thelekkat said this is a big moment for all of them because "their own son" has now been ordained as a cardinal....
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08:55 PM, Feb 18, 2012
