Catholics: India
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Cardinals
2024: George Jacob Koovakad creates history
Dec 7, 2024: The Times of India
In a grand consistory held in the Vatican Saturday, 51-year-old Keralite priest George Jacob Koovakad was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis.
Koovakad will be remembered in history as the first priest to be directly elevated as a cardinal from India. The other cardinals from India were bishops/archbishops before being elevated to this exalted post in the Church. The ceremony, held at St Peter’s Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the induction of 21 new cardinals. Hailing from the Archdiocese of Changanassery, Koovakad’s appointment brings the total number of Indian cardinals to six, further strengthening the country’s representation in the Vatican.
Koovakad, who has been organising the Pope’s international travels since 2020, shares a good relationship with him, and on Sept 2 last year, Pope Francis video called his grandmother, Sosamma Antony, 95, after her health deteriorated following Covid. Koovakad, who held the title of monsignor, was recently declared the titular archbishop of Nisibis in Turkey.
Earlier, Koovakad said: “...This is God’s will which I never expected. When I was sent here (in 2006), I was told by my respected seniors, that if it’s to learn the Bible, that can be done in Kerala itself, but since you are being sent to the Vatican it’s being done to learn things deeply.”
Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Church, expressed his delight at the elevation of another Indian to the cardinalate.
“It is a matter of immense pride for India that Archbishop George Koovakad will be created as a Cardinal by Pope Francis,” PM Modi posted on X. Born on Aug 11, 1974, Koovakad was ordained as a priest on July 24, 2004. He 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.In 2020, he joined the secretariat of state of the Holy See, where he assumed responsibility for organising the Pope’s global travels.
2025/ Of 6 Indian cardinals, 4 (below age 80) eligible to vote for new pope
Lisa Monteiro, April 22, 2025: The Times of India
Of the six Indian cardinals, four who are under the age of 80 will be eligible to vote for a new pope at the Papal Conclave to be held in Rome after Pope Francis’ funeral.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman, cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, who is also the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) and the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference (FABC), will vote for a new Pope along with three other Indian cardinals.
“Pope Francis had a special love for India and longed to visit our land,” Ferrao said, calling on all churches and the faithful to observe nine days of mourning and to offer special prayers and Masses for the repose of his soul. In a recent message to Indian bishops gathered at the 36th CCBI plenary assembly in Bhubaneswar in Jan 2024, Pope Francis urged them to prioritise the poor and vulnerable in their ministry, calling on them to open wide the doors of the Church, Ferrao said. “Pope Francis canonised five Indian saints: St Kuriakose Elias Chavara and St Euphrasia Eluvathingal on Nov 23, 2014, St Joseph Vaz on Jan 14, 2015, St Mariam Thresia Chiramel on Oct 13, 2019, and St Devasahayam Pillai on May 15, 2022.”
Major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, cardinal Baselios Cleemis, who is 64 years old, and cardinal George Koovakad, 51, who was inducted into the College of Cardinals on Dec 7 last year, will also vote.
Koovakad, a diplomat for the Vatican, belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church, from the archdiocese of Changanacherry, and was in charge of coordinating Pope Francis’ foreign trips since 2021. He was in Goa last year as part of a Vatican delegation for the Exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier.
Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, the first Dalit cardinal and archbishop of Hyderabad, is also eligible to vote. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who is 80 years old, will not be eligible to vote. Similarly, major archbishop emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Church, cardinal George Alencherry, who turned 80 on April 19, won’t be eligible to vote.
Language of Mass
Hindi/ 2025
Marcus Mergulhao, Nov 19, 2025: The Times of India
As the state’s demographics shift, its churches are adapting and making space for migrants and the language they understand, with Masses and catechism classes being provided in it
Every Sunday morning, as the church bells of Our Lady of the Rosary in Caranzalem rang out, Shobha Kujur took her usual seat. She unfailingly attended Mass. But, at the end of the hour-long service, she wasn’t entirely pleased.Kujur, who hails from Jharkhand, understood little Konkani, and almost no English. The sermons, hymns, and prayers, though familiar in rhythm, often held no meaning to her. “There’s nothing like listening to the word of God in your own language,” says Kujur.She wasn’t alone. Across Goa, thousands of migrants longed for a service in a language they understood.‘Word Of God In Our Language’That finally changed in 2022, when the Jesuits at the Caranzalem parish introduced a Hindi Mass. They realised it could become a true spiritual support for them, so it was taken up as a combination of social and pastoral mission. The Jesuit priest Fr Simon Fernandes first initiated this Mass, and now, Fr Joe Nazareth continues it at the Caranzalem church, with support from the parish priest, Fr Pio Almeida. This soon became a lifeline for dozens who had felt left out of the liturgy.“Hindi is our language, so it feels good to hear the word of God in a language we understand. Those words, I feel them in my heart. We can relate to everything that is being said,” Kujur says.
Hindi Masses are now becoming a regular feature in parish churches across Goa. Changing demographics has even led to a couple of parishes providing catechism (a manual of religious instruction) classes in Hindi.The archdiocese of Goa and Daman, one of the oldest and most significant in Asia, has around 6.2 lakh Catholics living within its boundaries. Traditionally, most Masses in the state are celebrated in Konkani, though the archdiocese officially lists English, Marathi, Portuguese, Gujarati, and Hindi among its liturgical languages. During the novenas (nine days of prayer) for St Francis Xavier in Old Goa, Masses are celebrated in a vast range of languages, including Spanish, Italian, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, and Hindi, catering to both pilgrims and migrant workers who speak those languages. The novena Masses in Indian languages are typically well-attended.Many churches have Hindi Masses once a month. In Caranzalem, it’s held at 11.30am on the fourth Sunday, and at 4pm, a similar service is held at Siolim. The popular Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in Panaji has a Hindi Mass on the third Sunday of every month.In North Goa district, which has a larger migrant population, the parishes of Old Goa, Calangute, Saligao, Pilerne, Mapusa, Bicholim, Porvorim, Olaulim, Valpoi, Caranzalem, and most recently Ponda, all have Hindi Masses.
Celebration Of ImmigrantsIn recent years, the global Church leadership has focused on migrants, with Pope Francis making migration a central theme of his papacy, even stating that driving away migrants is a ‘grave sin’.In Goa, the archdiocese celebrates pravasi divas (Migrants’ Day), and last year, its Hindi Mass filled up the Caranzalem church, a large, modern structure with seating at two levels. Auxiliary bishop Simiao Purificacao Fernandes was the main celebrant.According to Census 2011, for every 10,000 individuals in Goa, over 6,500 identified Konkani as their mother tongue, 1,029 listed Hindi, and 466 mentioned Kannada as their first language. However, locals say the number of Hindi-speaking people in the state has been increasing over the years.“Initially, we had just a few people, but now there are around 60-70 Catholics who attend Hindi Mass regularly here,” said Ignance Tirkey, who also teaches catechism in Caranzalem. “This is a very good initiative by the Church for all of us. The priest speaking the same language, the liturgy, everything provides new meaning to our lives.”
In Pilerne, home to one of Goa’s busiest industrial estates, a Hindi-speaking member is part of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), a consultative body of the parish that is meant to function as the principal form of collaboration and dialogue.Need For Hindi Liturgy “There are so many Hindi-speaking Catholics, the number is growing and there is a genuine need for a Mass in their own language,” said Fr Derick Fernandes, parish priest of St John the Baptist Church, Pilerne. “Several parishes already had Hindi Masses, and the archbishop has been supportive. Here, we also have catechism in Hindi. The group is very active.”That enthusiasm was evident again on Oct 19 this year, when the archdiocese of Goa and Daman celebrated the jubilee of migrants at St Ann’s Church, in Ponda, with — not surprisingly — a Mass in Hindi. The event, it was said, was “an invitation and a reminder for the migrants to renew their gift of hope, to surrender their sufferings and concerns to the Lord of hope, and to share it with others as pilgrims and missionaries of hope.”
“Hindi Masses have been taking place for quite some time in different centres,” said Fr Donato Rodrigues, convener of the Diocesan Commission for Migrants. “People from neighbouring parishes go to these places once a month. It gives them an opportunity to take part in the Mass in their own language. Many of our priests, who have been working on missions, are fluent in Hindi.”For many migrants, the sound of familiar words spoken from the pulpit offers something beyond ritual — it’s a sense of home. And in a state known for its cultural mosaic, Goa’s churches are making sure that faith, too, can reach people in many tongues.
Sexual offences by the clergy
2019: Kerala Catholic Bishops’ guidelines
February , 2019: The Times of India
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council has issued guidelines to protect minors and adults in church-run institutions from any form of sexual abuse. The guidelines, issued in the wake of several priests and bishops facing sexual assault charges, has proposed “strict action” against offenders.
Though the document titled KCBC Guidelines for Safe Environment Programme was issued in 2018, it entered public domain recently. On January 11, TOI had reported on Syro Malabar church’s decision to implement the norms. These also mooted a mechanism to address false accusations against the clergy, employees associated with the church.
2020: Pope defrocks rape-convict vicar
Pope defrocks rape-convict Kerala vicar, March 2, 2020: The Times of India
Kozhikode:
Pope Francis has dismissed Robin Vadakkumchery, the Kerala vicar who was last year convicted of raping and impregnating a minor girl and jailed for 20 years, from priesthood.
“From now on, he won’t have any priestly rights and duties. He will be known as Robin Vadakkumchery,” Fr Jose Kocharakkal, official spokesperson for the Catholic diocese of Mananthavady, said on Sunday. Kocharakkal said Pope Francis expelled Vadakkumchery from the clergy on the basis of a report submitted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome on December 5. He had been convicted and sentenced by the Thalassery Protection of Children from Sexual Offences court in February 2019.
Vadakkumchery was the vicar of St Sebastian Church at Neendunoki, in Kannur district. The dismissal of a priest of the Catholic Church from the clerical state is a permanent measure reserved for the most serious offences. Only the Pope has the power to do so.
The Catholic diocese of Mananthavady had suspended Vadakkumchery from priestly duties on February 27, 2017, after an anonymous call to the Childline in Kannur. The caller said a minor girl had delivered a baby at a hospital run by the church, and that the child was immediately shifted to Holy Infant Mary’s Foundling Home at Vythiri in Wayanad. Vadakkumchery was arrested on February 28 from the Kochi airport while trying to flee to Canada. He is serving his sentence at Kannur central jail.
Vatican rejects Sister Lucy’s plea again
The Vatican has rejected the second appeal filed by a Kerala nun against the decision of Franciscan Clarist Congregation to expel her for “failing” to provide explanation for her lifestyle, which allegedly violated church rules, sources close to the nun claimed on Sunday. A few months ago, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Vatican had dismissed Sister Lucy Kalappura’s first appeal challenging her expulsion. She filed the second appeal with the Vatican alleging that the ‘disciplinary action’ was taken for participating in protests by a group of nuns seeking arrest of a bishop accused of raping a fellow nun. “The sister has received a communication in Latin from Vatican saying that the appeal was rejected,” George Moolechalil of “Justice for Sister Lucy,” a social media platform supporting the nun said. PTI
Same sex-relationships
Meghalaya, 2023
Prabin Kalita, Dec 24, 2023: The Times of India
Meghalaya Catholic priests can ‘bless’ same sex-couples sans marriage rite
Guwahati : The Archdiocese of Shillong on Friday allowed Catholic priests in Meghalaya to bless same-sex couples, but clarified that the blessing will be in “informal words” and won’t signify approval of the union. This development comes days after Pope Francis approved this historic change in Vatican policy. The Shillong Archdiocese is the first diocese of the Northeast. In a letter to the priests, Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh wrote that the blessings to same-sex couples will be without any type of ritual of the Church that resembles a marriage rite. It will be a “spontaneous prayer of a priest with informal words,” the Archbishop wrote, underlining that “this (the blessing) is not to be mistaken as the official liturgical and ritual blessings of the Church during marriage”.
The Archbishop referred to ‘Fiducia Supplicans’, Pope Francis’s declaration issued on December 18 which “stresses on the pastoral meaning of blessings”. “Pope Francis has urged us not to ‘lose pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes’ and to avoid being ‘judges who only deny, reject, and exclude’. Let us then respond to the Holy Father’s proposal by developing a broader understanding of blessings,” the ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ declaration states.
