Hopes for positive response from Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Patriarch
of the Syriac Orthodox Church Ignatius Aphrem II has called for peace
between the two factions of the Malankara Church based on dignity and
respect for each other.
On his
second apostolic visit to ndia, the Patriarch told a press conference on Tuesday: “I will do all I can to achieve peace based on respect,
dignity and mutual acceptance.”
The
Patriarch of Antioch said he had extended an invitation for talks to
Catholicos of the East Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II, head of the
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and though there was no reply so far
he expected a a positive response. He said he was deeply concerned about
the ordinary members of the Church. “We are not the Church, we are its
servants,” he said noting the “sufferings” undergone by the believers
whose weddings, funerals and other services were disrupted on account of
the dispute between the two factions of the Malankara Church.
Catholicos
of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Baselios Thomas I and Synod
secretary Joseph Mar Gregorios were among those present at the
Patriarch’s interaction with the press.
The
Patriarch said he would skip visiting the Parumala pilgrim centre. He
said he wanted to underline his deep desire for peace between the two
groups of the Malankara Church as he was the spiritual father to all the
believers.
He said
he would be travelling to New Delhi to meet the President and the Prime
Minister, whose interventions would be sought to achieve peace in the
Church in India.
He said
he did not expect New Delhi to directly intervene in the matter but to
be facilitators of a process of achieving permanent peace.
He
thanked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for encouraging him to visit the
State in a bid to achieve peace in the Malankara Church.
He said the government had made arrangements for his visit as a guest of the State.
Referring
to the Supreme Court verdict in the standoff between the two groups of
the Malankara Church, the Patriarch described his visit to India as
following several “difficult and painful events”. Here is a group of
people who have been deprived of their churches and places of worship,
he said, as he pointed out that he had extended an invitation to all to
sit down for talks to achieve peace and to draw up the future course of
action.
On
possible leadership changes in the Jacobite church, he said it would be
left to the local Synod to decide. He would not impose or force any
changes, he added.
Syrian situation
On the
situation in Syria, he said that the government forces had recently
achieved much success but a vast majority of the Christians had fled the
country. He did not expect most of these Christians to return. Even if
5% of them returned it would be a good result, he said
Malabar model
Catholicos
Baselios Thomas I, head of the Jacobite faction of the Malankara
Church, has called for replicating what he called the “Malabar model” of
peace between the two groups of the Malnakara Church.
He said
that though the Orthodox faction of the Malankara Church was numerically
quite strong in the Malabar region, the two groups had forged peace
among themselves.
