Pope Francis shared a close bond with a Kerala cardinal

Kottayam: Pope Francis was closely connected to Kerala, particularly through Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, a native of Changanassery near Kottayam.

Koovakad, 52, joined the Vatican diplomatic service in 2006 and served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica and Venezuela. Since 2020, he has been working at the Vatican state secretariat, in charge of the Pope's travels.

Their relationship was so special that the Pope came on a video call to speak to the Cardinal's grandmother Sosamma when she was ill in 2023. Sosamma passed away on March 1 this year.

The Pope once again surprised the Koovakad family when he announced the priest as one of the 21 new Cardinals in Oct 2024. He became the first Indian priest to be made a Cardinal from the priesthood without being ordained a bishop or an archbishop.