VATICAN (CNS): Pope Francis has named George Cardinal Koovakad of India to be the new prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. He succeeds Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot of Spain who died in November after dedicating his priestly life and ministry to building bridges between Catholics and Muslims.
The 51-year-old Cardinal Koovakad, who received his red hat from the pope in December, also will continue to be responsible for organising papal trips abroad, Vatican News reported on January 24, the day his appointment was announced.
“The dicastery works to ensure that dialogue with the followers of other religions takes place in an appropriate way, with an attitude of listening, esteem and respect,” according to the apostolic constitution governing the Roman Curia.
The dicastery “fosters various kinds of relations with them so that, through the contribution of all, peace, freedom, social justice, the protection and safeguarding of creation, and spiritual and moral values may be promoted,” the constitution says.
I rely heavily on 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.
Cardinal Koovakad
In an interview with Vatican News on January 24, Cardinal Koovakad said he was a bit nervous taking over at the dicastery, but “I rely heavily on 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.”
A Syro-Malabar Catholic and career Vatican diplomat, the cardinal has experience living, working and ministering in countries where Catholics are a minority and interreligious dialogue is an accepted fact of life.
Born in Chethipuzha in Kerala state, India, on 11 August 1973, Cardinal Koovakad was ordained a priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry in 2004.
He earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2006 and joined the Holy See’s diplomatic service that same year. He worked in Vatican nunciatures in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica and Venezuela.
Christians are called to be seeds of fraternity for all. This does not mean giving up one’s identity but rather being aware that identity should never be a reason to build walls or discriminate against others. Instead, it should always be an opportunity to build bridges
Cardinal Koovakad
“I was born and raised in a multicultural and multireligious society where all religions are respected and harmony is preserved,” he told Vatican News. “Diversity is a richness!”
The cardinal said, “Christians are called to be seeds of fraternity for all. This does not mean giving up one’s identity but rather being aware that identity should never be a reason to build walls or discriminate against others. Instead, it should always be an opportunity to build bridges.”
In 2020, Cardinal Koovakad began working in the General Affairs Section of the Vatican Secretariat of State. He joined Pope Francis on his trip to Greece and Cyprus in December 2021 and has been organising the pope’s foreign trips since then.
In that role, he has coordinated a dozen papal trips, including several where interreligious dialogue was a main feature, including trips to Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Mongolia and the pope’s trip in September to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore—the longest trip of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
