The 51 year-old Monsignor – senior member of the clergy in the Catholic Church – was among the 21 priests from around the world inducted into the College of Cardinalsa on Saturday December 07, 2024 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
In a historic moment, Pope Francis elevated Archbishop George Jacob Koovakad to the rank of Cardinal, making him the first Catholic priest from India to be directly appointed to the rank.
The 51 year-old Monsignor – senior member of the clergy in the Catholic Church – who joined the Vatican Diplomatic Service in 2006, was among the 21 priests from around the world inducted into the College of Cardinalsa on Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
Father Antony Vadakkekara, spokesperson of the Church said: “It is a great honor for the Syro-Malabar Church as one of its sons is elevated as cardinal directly, which is first in India.” Until now, only archbishops had been appointed cardinals in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the moment, calling it a matter of “great joy and pride for India.” He said, “His Eminence George Cardinal Koovakad has devoted his life in service of humanity as an ardent follower of Lord Jesus Christ. My best wishes for his future endeavours.”
Who is Monsignor Koovakad?
George Jacob Koovakad, belonging to the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Changanacherry, was born in 1973 in Thiruvananthapuram. He was ordained as a priest in 2004. He subsequently pursued advanced training for diplomatic service at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and has served in Apostolic Nunciatures in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela.
At the School of Canon Law, he obtained his Doctorate in June 2006, with a thesis on The Obligation of Poverty for Secular Clerics in the Codes of Canon Law and he had previously earned a Baccalaureate in 2002) and a Licentiate in 2004. He also served as an assistant vicar in a parish before moving to the Vatican.
After finishing the preparatory program at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2006.
His early assignments included working at the nunciature – Embassey of the Holy See – in Algeria, followed by roles as secretary of the nunciature in South Korea from 2009 to 2012 and in Iran from 2012 to 2014. He then served as a counselor at the nunciatures in Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018 and in Venezuela from 2018 to 2020, according to Holy See’s Acta Apostolicae Sedis.
In 2014, he was honored with the title of Chaplain of His Holiness, and in 2019, he was named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness.
According to the Holy See, in July 2020 he joined the staff of the Secretariat of State and since 2021 Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad is a member of the Vatican’s diplomatic corps and is tasked with organising papal trips.
Pope Francis appointed Koovakad as the titular archbishop of Nisibis of the Chaldeans in October and he received his episcopal consecration last month, at Changanassery Cathedral from Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil.
