Kochi (AsiaNews) – In the conclave that is about to begin, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church will not be there this time. Yet this important Indian Catholic community that follows the Eastern rite with roots in Kerala will still be represented by a fresh face, that of Card George Jacob Koovakad, a close aide of Pope Francis in the Vatican.
In one of his last important appointments, the pontiff chose the young Indian prelate as the new prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, a post that has now formally lapsed like all the others in the dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
Cardinal Kookavad was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on 11 August 1973. Ordained a priest in 2004 for the Diocese of Changanacherry, he joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See two years later, serving in the nunciatures of Algeria, Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.
In 2020 he was called to the General Affairs section of the Secretariat of State, and a year later he moved to the Journeys Office, charged with organising Pope Francis's overseas trips.
In this capacity, he was involved in a memorable episode in September 2023, at the end of the trip to Mongolia. The health of his 95-year-old grandmother, Sosamma Antony, had deteriorated, especially after her battle with COVID-19 the previous year.
On that occasion, Pope Francis personally made a video call to her, expressing his closeness and offering her words of comfort. The pope spoke in Italian, while Card Koovakad translated into Malayalam. The pontiff reportedly continued to ask about her health in subsequent meetings.
Created unexpectedly a cardinal in the consistory of 7 December 2024, he was appointed prefect of the dicastery for interreligious dialogue the following month, taking over from Card Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, a Spanish Comboni missionary who had passed away at the age of 72.
Card Kookavad stressed the interfaith aspect of pontiffs’ apostolic journeys in an interview with Vatican News at the time of his appointment. He highlighted the important meetings he had in the visits to Southeast Asia the previous year, but also his experiences in Mongolia and Kazakhstan.
“I trust in the guidance of the Holy Father,” he explained, and “the prayers of all those who continue to dream of a world where religious differences not only coexist peacefully but become essential elements in building peace among peoples.”
In the same interview, the prelate was asked a question about his origin in a multireligious and multicultural environment like India.
His answer was: “As early as 1500, Jesuit Fr Roberto De Nobili adopted the clothing and customs of Indian monks, learned local languages, and sought to assimilate whatever could be valued in these traditions.”
Above all, “what I want to highlight is this attitude of openness, sympathy, and closeness to other traditions. Christian faith is capable of inculturation: Christians are called to be seeds of fraternity for all.”
