George Alencherry was born at Thuruthy, Changanacherry, in Kerala, India, on 19 April 1945. Ordained a priest on 18 December 1972, he took a doctorate in biblical theology at the Sorbonne and specialised in catechetics at the Catholic Institute of Paris, then taught at St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor.
On 11 November 1996 John Paul II established the diocese of Thuckalay with Alencherry as its first bishop. On 24 May 2011 the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church elected him Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, and Benedict XVI granted ecclesial communion on 26 May. Benedict created him a cardinal on 18 February 2012, with the title of San Bernardo alle Terme; he voted in the conclave of 2013.
His tenure was troubled by disputes over land sales in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archeparchy, which drew a Vatican inquiry and the temporary transfer of administrative authority to an apostolic administrator, and by the long-running quarrel over the uniform celebration of the liturgy. Francis accepted his resignation on 7 December 2023.
Major Works & Initiatives
Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly
Head of the world's second-largest Eastern Catholic Church.
First Bishop of Thuckalay
Founding bishop of the new Syro-Malabar diocese.
Biblical theologian and seminary professor
Sorbonne doctorate; taught Scripture at Vadavathoor.
Controversies
The Ernakulam land deals
Alencherry's archeparchy was accused of incurring heavy losses in a series of land sales in 2017–2018. A Vatican-ordered inquiry followed, and in 2018 Francis appointed an apostolic administrator for the archeparchy, temporarily curtailing Alencherry's administrative authority. The episode, compounded by the uniform-liturgy dispute, contributed to his resignation in 2023.