Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, preached the 377th Lion Sermon at
the Guild Church of St Katharine Cree in the City of London last week.
The annual sermon commemorates Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Gayer, who prayed for God’s protection when confronted by a lion during
his travels to Syria in 1643. After returning safely to London, he endowed St Katharine Cree to support the poor and established a yearly sermon focused on overcoming challenges with God’s help.
Born in India and ordained in the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal Koovakad leads the Roman Catholic Church’s global dialogue with people
of other faiths and religious traditions. The Cardinal’s visit follows St Katharine Cree’s Latin American congregation in 2024 receiving a personal letter from the late Pope Francis, endorsing its ministry in the City of London and offering his prayers and
encouragement to the people of the church.
The Lion Sermon brought together a diverse congregation of guests from local Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Jain and Latter Day Saints communities,
sharing a longstanding commitment to dialogue and understanding across faiths.
Towers and walls
Taking up Sir John Gayer’s story, Cardinal Koovakad named three “lions” of our time: an ecological and economic crisis that strikes
the poor hardest; a geopolitical crisis in which wars are proliferating and the multilateral order is under strain; and a religious crisis marked by rising nationalism, polarisation and discrimination. He said, “These crises are not separate; they are woven
together.” Religious minorities, he observed, suffer more because they already have less.
He also highlighted that interreligious collaboration has become one of the most promising spaces of active citizenship, and that
religious voices should be welcome at the tables where global decisions are made. He closed by inviting the congregation to plant “one seed of dialogue this week” with a neighbour, a colleague, or a stranger of another faith. “Seeds are small,” he said. “But
every forest began with one.”
A church for the City’s workers
The Revd Josh Harris, Priest-in-Charge of St Katharine Cree and Director of the church’s Joseph Centre for Dignified Work, said:
“Stemming from Pope Francis’ letter to our Latin American congregation, it’s wonderful to welcome Cardinal Koovakad to our Guild Church
and be reminded of the “lions” we now face together, side by side, as brothers and sisters across our different churches. His friendship to us at St Katharine Cree, and the bonds between different faiths in London and beyond have a lasting legacy that we treasure.”
Paying tribute to the ministry St Katharine Cree has established in recent years especially among hidden and marginalised City
workers including cleaners and security guards, Cardinal Koovakad said:
“For nearly four centuries this sermon has been preached in the heart of one of the world’s great centres of commerce. That tells
us that faith does not belong only behind closed doors. Faith belongs in the marketplace, in the office, on the factory floor, in the places where human beings labour, trade, hope and struggle together.”
The Church of England lead bishop for interfaith dialogue, Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, said:
“The Cardinal’s visit to St Katherine Cree is a powerful symbol of our shared commitment to open the door to people across different
churches and faiths, take part in interfaith dialogue and practise strength in unity at a time where the world feels deeply fragmented along religious lines.”
