Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Mar George Alencherry, will leave here for Rome on Wednesday, three days ahead of his investiture as Cardinal.
He will be accompanied by a host of church dignitaries and political leaders apart from his family members.
The government delegation will include water resources minister P.J. Joseph, Union minister Prof K.V. Thomas, P.T. Thomas, MP, and Jose K. Mani, MP. Thalasserry Archbishop Mar George Valiamattom, Curia Bishop Bosco Puthur and Auxiliary Bishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly Mar Thomas Chakkiyath will also accompany Mar Alencherry apart from his family members.
The investiture on February 18 will be led by Pope Benedict XVI. The church will get 22 new cardinals on the day. With this, the membership of the College of Cardinals, a body electing and advising the Pope, will go up to 125.
The spiritual head of over 40 lakh strong members of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, 67-year-old Mar Alencherry is the fourth cardinal from the state.
His predecessors were Mar Joseph Parekkattil, Mar Antony Padiyara and Mar Varkey Vithayathil.
Mar Alencherry, 67, is being inducted into the College of Cardinals eight months after his election to office as the head of the Syro-Malabar Church.
Incidentally, he is also the first Major Archbishop to be elected by the Synod of Bishops after the Syro-Malabar Church was elevated to the status of Major Archepiscopal Church.
Born to Philippose and Mary at Thuruthy near Changanasserry on April 19, 1945, Mar Alencherry was ordained a priest on December 18, 1972.
He was made the first bishop of the newly-created Thuckalay diocese in 1997.
