(This interview has been edited for length and clarity. It was originally published by Indian Catholic Matters on February 25, 2026.)

In a world increasingly shaped by religious diversity and global interconnection, few church leaders embody the lived experience of dialogue as fully as His Eminence Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2025. Born in Kerala, India, and formed for the Holy See’s diplomatic service, Cardinal Koovakad has served the Church across continents, engaging cultures, peoples, and religious traditions in varied and often complex contexts.

For several years, he was entrusted with coordinating and accompanying the international apostolic journeys of the late Holy Father, Pope Francis, traveling with him to nations where faith, politics, and social realities intersect in powerful ways. These experiences ­­— witnessing historic interreligious encounters and moments of fragile peace — profoundly shaped his conviction that dialogue is not optional, but essential.

In an email exchange interview that took place between November of 2025 and February of 2026, I had the privilege of engaging Cardinal Koovakad in a thoughtful conversation on interreligious dialogue in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on magisterial wisdom and theological depth, he reflected on its challenges, its responsibilities, and the enduring hope it offers for the future of humanity.

In today’s world marked by conflict, polarization, and rapid social change, how do you understand the urgency and relevance of interreligious dialogue?

We live in a world marked by profound transformations, where religious diversity increasingly intersects with social, political, and cultural tensions. In such a context, interreligious dialogue is not an optional initiative, but a vital response to the challenges and hopes of our time. Its relevance and urgency are particularly evident amid religious conflicts, cultural polarization, and communal violence.

Every religion proclaims a message of love and peace. Remaining faithful to the authentic spiritual teachings of one’s own religion is the best and simplest way to prevent conflict. Interreligious dialogue helps the followers of different religious traditions to deepen their understanding of their own faith and to discover within it answers to these pressing questions. Dialogue, therefore, does not weaken belief; rather, it strengthens conviction while fostering mutual understanding.

In this regard, I would like to draw attention to two important references: Pope Francis’ Message for the Fiftieth World Day of Peace (2017) and the Document on Human Fraternity (2019), signed with Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi.

Pope Francis reminded us:

Violence is not the cure for our broken world. Countering violence with violence leads at best to forced migrations and enormous suffering, because vast amounts of resources are diverted to military ends and away from the everyday needs of young people, families experiencing hardship, the elderly, the infirm and the great majority of people in our world. At worst, it can lead to the death, physical and spiritual, of many people, if not of all.

Similarly, the Document on Human Fraternity affirms:

Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility, and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood. These tragic realities are the consequence of a deviation from religious teachings. They result from a political manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment in the hearts of men and women in order to make them act in a way that has nothing to do with the truth of religion.

These teachings clearly demonstrate that authentic religion is never a source of violence; rather, it is a path toward peace. Interreligious dialogue, therefore, is not merely relevant — it is urgently necessary for building a world grounded in fraternity, justice, and shared responsibility.

Pope Francis often described interreligious dialogue as an encounter rooted in respect, listening, and friendship. How can dialogue move beyond formal meetings to become a lived experience among ordinary people of different faiths?

We reduce dialogue to a bare minimum when we consider it merely an exercise for academics and intellectuals. In reality, dialogue is something we live every day. As you rightly mention, it is a respectful and friendly encounter between people of different faiths. Interreligious dialogue is not an abstract ideal, but a concrete journey of encounter, responsibility, and hope. When it is rooted in authentic faith and lived through respect, attentive listening, and cooperation, it becomes a powerful instrument for healing divisions, fostering peace, and building a future worthy of the human family.

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue proposes four models of dialogue, three of which are connected to the daily lives of ordinary people. As expressed in Dialogue and Proclamation (42):

a)The dialogue of life, where people strive to live in an open and neighborly spirit, sharing their joys and sorrows, their human problems, and preoccupations.

b) The dialogue of action, in which Christians and others collaborate for the integral development and liberation of people.

c) The dialogue of religious experience, where persons, rooted in their own religious traditions, share their spiritual riches, for instance with regard to prayer and contemplation, faith, and ways of searching for God or the Absolute

Some fear that interreligious dialogue may dilute religious identity. How can faith communities remain deeply rooted in their own traditions while engaging openly and sincerely with others?

One of the fundamental principles of interreligious dialogue is that it does not seek to arrive at a common truth by sacrificing one’s own beliefs. Dialogue does not attempt to construct a “third truth,” nor does it require abandoning one’s convictions. Rather, each person engaged in dialogue seeks to deepen his or her own religious faith while making a sincere effort to understand the traditions of others. In simple terms, the intention of dialogue is to help one live one’s own faith more fully and more consciously. Dialogue is not syncretism.

In this regard, I would recall what St. John Paul II taught in Redemptoris Missio (56):

Those engaged in this dialogue must be consistent with their own religious traditions and convictions and be open to understanding those of the other party without pretense or close-mindedness, but with truth, humility, and frankness, knowing that dialogue can enrich each side. There must be no abandonment of principles nor false irenicism, but instead a witness given and received for mutual advancement on the road of religious inquiry and experience, and at the same time for the elimination of prejudice, intolerance, and misunderstandings. Dialogue leads to inner purification and conversion which, if pursued with docility to the Holy Spirit, will be spiritually fruitful.

How can young people be formed to see interreligious dialogue not as a threat, but as an opportunity for cooperation, understanding, and shared responsibility?

Interreligious dialogue does not pose a threat to any person or to any religious tradition. On the contrary, it helps address many of the threats we face as humanity. When properly understood, dialogue is not about weakening identity, but about strengthening relationships and fostering mutual respect.

Young people can be formed through education, digital literacy, social media engagement, youth exchanges, and shared service initiatives. These experiences help them see that cooperation across religious boundaries is both possible and fruitful.

As Pope Francis said at an interreligious meeting on 4 February 2019:

Young people, who are often surrounded by negative messages and fake news, need to learn not to surrender to the seductions of materialism, hatred, and prejudice. They need to learn to object to injustice and also to the painful experiences of the past. They need to learn to defend the rights of others with the same energy with which they defend their own rights. One day, they will be the ones to judge us. They will judge us well, if we have given them a solid foundation for creating new encounters of civility. They will judge us poorly, if we have left them only mirages and the empty prospect of harmful conflicts of incivility.

By giving young people this foundation, we enable them to build a culture of encounter and shared responsibility for the future.

In addressing global challenges such as poverty, migration, climate change, and human dignity, how can people of different faith traditions work together without compromising their beliefs?

Challenges such as poverty, migration, human dignity, and climate change are not the problems of any particular religion—they affect all of humanity. It is the responsibility of people of all faiths to seek appropriate responses to these challenges. Collaboration can be achieved without compromising one’s own religious beliefs or traditions, as each faith brings unique insights and resources to shared problems.

Pope Francis addressed these challenges in the encyclicals Laudato si’ and Fratelli tutti, while many other papal documents, beginning with Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII, reflect on human dignity, poverty, labor, and justice. Such teachings provide a foundation for interfaith cooperation that is both principled and effective.

What responsibility do religious leaders carry in countering extremism, prejudice, and misinformation in an increasingly digital and interconnected world?

Religious leaders bear the primary responsibility for promoting peace and harmony among their followers. Their teachings must be supported by their own lives—one who proclaims peace with words, but practices violence cannot guide others effectively. Leaders should consistently convey the same message in both public and private life, helping followers to approach issues thoughtfully rather than emotionally. In this way, they ensure that harmony and mutual respect are maintained between religions and their communities.

As Pope Leo XIV observed in his address celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of Nostra Aetate:

As religious leaders, guided by the wisdom of our respective traditions, we share a sacred responsibility: to help our people break free from the chains of prejudice, anger, and hatred; to help them rise above egoism and self-centeredness; to help them overcome the greed that destroys both the human spirit and the earth. In this way, we can lead our people to become prophets of our time — voices that denounce violence and injustice, heal division, and proclaim peace for all our brothers and sisters.

Religious leadership, therefore, is not only about teaching faith—it is about witnessing it through action, guiding communities toward understanding, and countering division in an interconnected world.

Looking ahead, what gives you hope for the future of interreligious dialogue, and what steps are most urgently needed to strengthen it today?

Hope is an essential part of Christian life. From a Christian perspective, hope is rooted in faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which assures us that evil, division, and death do not have the final word. At the same time, this hope opens outward toward a universal horizon: it resonates with the deepest human longing for peace, justice, and reconciliation shared by people of all religious traditions.

In this perspective, interreligious dialogue is not merely a strategy for coexistence, but a vocation that shapes our shared future. In this sense, Christian hope does not exclude, but invites collaboration, encouraging believers to work together with others for the common good and the future of humanity. I express the hope that the future will witness ever deeper and more constructive relationships among different religions, so that interreligious dialogue may flourish as a genuine path toward mutual understanding, peace, and shared responsibility for humanity.

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