Pope names Indian cardinal to lead Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has named Indian Cardinal George J. Koovakad to be the new prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

The 51-year-old, who received his red hat from the pope in December, also will continue to be responsible for organizing papal trips abroad, Vatican News reported Jan. 24, the day his appointment was announced.

The dicastery is responsible for dialogue with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and members of other world religions.

"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.

Cardinal Koovakad succeeds Spanish Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot who died in November after dedicating his priestly life and ministry to building bridges between Catholics and Muslims.

In an interview with Vatican News Jan. 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, Cardinal Koovakad 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 India's southern Kerala state Aug. 11, 1973, he 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.

"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!"

"Christians are called to be seeds of fraternity for all," he said. "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 organizing 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.