Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad Elevated to the College of Cardinals

Bangalore 7 December 2024: Archbishop George Jacob Koovakad, a 51-year-old Indian prelate from the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Changanacherry, Kerala, has been elevated to the rank of Cardinal on 7 December 2024. Archbishop Geroge Jacob has been responsible for organizing Pope Francis' international travels since 2020. He is among 21 new Cardinals announced by Pope Francis on October 6, 2024. He was ordained Archbishop on November 24, 2024.

Archbishop George Jacob Koovakad was born on August 11, 1973, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was ordained a priest on July 24, 2004, and 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. 

Over the years, Archbishop Koovakad served in various key roles, including as Secretary of the Nunciature in South Korea (2009–2012) and Iran (2012–2014). He then became Counsellor of the Nunciatures in Costa Rica (2014–2018) and Venezuela (2018–2020). In 2020, he joined the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, where he assumed responsibility for organizing the global travels of Pope Francis. Since 2021, he has played a vital role in coordinating and managing the logistics of the Holy Father's trips around the world.

By Joicy Pinto