Syro-Malabar Church in jubilation as priest will be elevated to Cardinal

PTI Kottayam (Kerala): The priests, nuns and laity of the Kerala-based Syro- Malabar Church are jubilant as their priest, George Jacob Koovakad, will be elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica, on December 7, at 9 PM. Koovakad, 51, from Kerala, who has been organising Pope Francis’ international travels since 2020, will be among the 21 clergy elevated to the rank of Cardinal. Previously, Koovakad, who held the title of Monsignor, was declared the Titular Archbishop of Nisibis in Turkey.

The priest is currently based in the Vatican. A delegation from the Archdiocese of Changanassery, to which he belongs, departed for the Vatican on Thursday to attend the ordination ceremony scheduled for Saturd ay. Th e delegation is led by Changanassery Archbishop Mar Thomas Tharayil. Arch bishop Koovakad becomes the third Cardinal from the Changanassery Archdiocese, following the late Cardinal Antony Padiyara and Cardinal George Alencherry. Born on 11 August 1973 in Thiruvananthapuram, Koovakad was ordained as a priest on July 24, 2004. He later pursued training for diplomatic service at the prestigious Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. In 2006, he began his diplomatic career at the Apostolic Nunciature in Algeria.