Kerala priest George Koovakad elevated to Cardinal by Pope Francis

In a grand consistory held in the Vatican on Saturday 51yearold Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope FrancisThe ceremony held at the famous St Peters Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world witnessed the induction of 21 new cardinals from various countriesThe ceremony began at 830 pm IST marking a procession with 21 cardinaldesignated to the altar of St Peters Basilica Later the Pope addressed the gathering and handed over the ceremonious cap and ring to the cardinaldesignate followed by a certificate accompanied by prayersHailing from the Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala Koovakads appointment brings the total number of Indian cardinals to six further strengthening the countrys representation in the VaticanPolitical leaders led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads of church and the faithful across India have welcomed the announcement with joy and prideIt is a matter of immense pride for India that Archbishop George Koovakad will be created as a Cardinal by His Holiness Pope Francis Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X on SaturdayHe said the Government of India sent a delegation led by Union Minister George Kurian to witness this ceremonyPrior to the ceremony the Indian delegation also called on Pope Francis his post further readKerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his message extended all greetings to the new cardinal saying the elevation of priest George Koovakad is a recognition for the Christian community in India and Kerala and especially the Syro Malabar ChurchFaithfuls from Kerala and across the world have expressed pride in the elevation of one of their own priestsCardinal George Alencherry the former Major Archbishop of the SyroMalabar Church expressed his delight at the elevation of another Indian to the cardinalateHe is a person who has rendered commendable services to the Church he said adding that it is a proud moment for the Catholic Church Kerala and IndiaCardinal Baselios Cleemis noted that this decision to directly elevate a priest is a special recognitionPriests from Changanassery hailed this as a proud moment for the Indian Church Many believers from his hometown have travelled to the Vatican to witness the momentous occasionArchbishop Mar Joseph Perumthottam hailed the moment as a big recognition for the believersIn Changanassery parishioners and wellwishers celebrated the historic occasion with special prayers and thanksgiving servicesThe Indian delegation headed by Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian comprising former Union Ministers of State Kodikkunnil Suresh former UnionMinister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu BJP leaders Anil Antony Anoop Antony and Tom Vadakkan also witnessed the ordination ceremonyThe episcopal consecration ceremony was held in Changanassery last month as part of his elevation to the rank of cardinalKoovakad has been organising Pope Francis international travels since 2020Previously Koovakad who held the title of Monsignor was declared the Titular Archbishop of Nisibis in TurkeyThe priest is currently based in the VaticanA delegation from the Archdiocese of Changanassery to which he belongs departed for the Vatican on Thursday to attend the ordination ceremony The delegation was led by Changanassery Archbishop Mar Thomas TharayilBorn 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 AcademyIn 2006 he began his diplomatic career at the Apostolic Nunciature in AlgeriaOver the years Koovakad held various significant roles including Secretary of the Nunciature in South Korea 2009iquest2012 and Iran 2012iquest2014He subsequently served as Counsellor of the Nunciatures in Costa Rica 2014iquest2018 and Venezuela 2018iquest2020In 2020 he joined the Secretariat of State of the Holy See where he assumed responsibility for organising the Popes global travels according to the ChurchFollowing the ordination ceremony the new cardinals will visit the Pope at the Vatican Palace to receive his blessingOn Sunday at 1 PM IST they will join the Pope in celebrating Holy Mass according to a Church releaseThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever