Mar George Alencherry made Cardinal

KOCHI: Syro-Malabar Major Archbishop Mar George Alencherry has been elevated to the status of Cardinal. The appointment of Mar Alencherry as the Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI was announced at Vatican and at Syro-Malabar Church headquarters, Mount St Thomas, at the same time on Friday. Curia Bishop Mar Bosco Puthoor made the announcement at Mount St Thomas,  Kakkanad. Mar Alencherry is the fourth Malayali and tenth Indian to be elevated  as Cardinal. Usually, the Major Archbishops of the Syro- Malabar Church are given the status of Cardinal. Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil, Mar Antony Cardinal Padiyara and Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil are Mar Alencherry’s predecessors. On his elevation as Cardinal, Alencherry has become one of the three Indian prelates who have voting right in the Pope’s election. Mar Alencherry, who was serving as the Bishop of Thuckalay, was elected successor of Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil on May 24, 2011. Mar Alencherry was the first Major Archbishop to be elected by  the Synod after the Syro-Malabar Church was elevated to the status of Major Archiepiscopal Church.Born to Philipose and Mary Alencherry of Thuruthy in Changanassery Archdiocese  on April 19, 1945,  George Alencherry had his primary schooling at St Mary’s School, Thuruthy, and secondary education at St Berchman’s High School, Changanassery. He began his priestly formation in 1961 at the Archdiocesan minor seminary at Parel, Changanassery.  Mar Alencherry  secured  BA in economics with second rank from St Berchman’s College. After the minor seminary studies, he was sent to St Joseph’s pontifical seminary, Aluva, where he completed his philosophical and theological studies. He was ordained priest on December 18, 1972. Mar Alencherry has served as vicar of the Filial Church at Periyarmugham, assistant vicar at the Cathedral Church of Changanassery and director of the Archdiocesan faith formation department,  secretary of the Commission for Catechism of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC),  director of the Pastoral Orientation Centre at Palarivattom and deputy secretary of KCBC. Mar Alencherry has secured  doctorate in biblical theology from Sorbonne University, Paris.     Mar Alencherry was the first bishop when the diocese of Thuckalay was established in  November 1996.