New Delhi: Archbishop George Koovakad of India will be created as a cardinal by Pope Francis, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Saturday. The PMO said that it is a matter of immense pride for the country. A delegation led by Union Minister George Kurian has been sent by the Government of India to attend the ceremony in Vatican City.
“It is a matter of immense pride for India that Archbishop George Koovakad will be created as a Cardinal by His Holiness Pope Francis,” the PMO said in a post on X.
Before the ceremony, the Indian delegation met with Pope Francis, and the PMO shared a photograph of the meeting. Koovakad, 51, hailing from Kerala, has been coordinating Pope Francis’ international tours since 2020. He will be among 21 clergymen elevated to the rank of cardinal.
Who is George Jacob Koovakad?
George Jacob Koovakad, a 51-year-old priest from Kerala, is a member of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Changanacherry, one of India’s prominent Catholic communities. Throughout his career, Koovakad has served in various countries, including Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.
In these international missions, he held the role of secretary to the counselor, contributing to the work of churches around the world. In 2020, he was appointed to the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, where he took on the important task of overseeing Pope Francis’s international travel arrangements. Koovakad’s elevation to cardinal in the Vatican is a historic achievement for India.
