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SyroMalankara
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The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was today elevated to the status of Major Archiepiscopal Church and its Metropolitan as the first Major Archbishop Catholicos.
Malankara Syro Catholic Church
His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselios
Major Arch Bishop and Catholicos Bava
Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio to India, read out the Papal Bull in this regard at the St Mary’s Cathedral here.
Thiruvalla Bishop Isaac Mar Cleemis, who felicitated the newly appointed Catholicos, expressed gratitude to Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Igance Mousa Daoud, Prefect of the Congregation of the Oriental Churches, and the Apostolic Nuncio for elevating the church to an Archiepiscopal church.
Replying to the felicitations, the Catholicos said that a long cherished dream of the Malankara church was realised through the elevation.
Head of Syro-Malankara Church named a Major Archbishop
Vatican, Feb. 10 (CWNews.com) - Pope John Paul II has raised the leader of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church to the title of a Major Archbishop.
Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Malancharuvil has been the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum, in India, and the leader of the Syro-Malankara Church since 1995. With his announcement on February 15, Pope John Paul has raised the sui juris metropolitan see to the rank of a “Major Archiepiscopal Church.”
The Syro-Malankara Church has about 450,000 faithful, virtually all living in five eparchies (dioceses) in India, where they are served by 632 priests. The Syro-Malankara community, centered primarily in the western state of Kerela, has proved to be a major source of priestly and religious vocations; there are currently more than 600 seminarians, and over 2,000 women religious in 17 congregations.
The Syro-Malankars, who trace their religious heritage back to the evangelizing efforts of the St. Thomas the apostle, were among the many Eastern Christians who broke with Rome over the Christological disputes at the Council of Chalcedon. After generations of alliance with the Syrian Orthodox Church, some of these “Thomas Christians” sought to restore full communion with Rome, and in the 1930s the Syro-Malankara Catholic hierarchy was recognized by the Holy See.
With the recognition of a Major Archbishop, the Syro-Malankara now joins the ranks of other Eastern Catholic churches-- most notably the Ukrainian Catholic Church [and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church] – with an autonomous hierarchy headed by a prelate whose rank remains below that of a patriarch.
Malankara Syro Catholic Church
His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselios
Major Arch Bishop and Catholicos Bava
Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio to India, read out the Papal Bull in this regard at the St Mary’s Cathedral here.
Thiruvalla Bishop Isaac Mar Cleemis, who felicitated the newly appointed Catholicos, expressed gratitude to Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Igance Mousa Daoud, Prefect of the Congregation of the Oriental Churches, and the Apostolic Nuncio for elevating the church to an Archiepiscopal church.
Replying to the felicitations, the Catholicos said that a long cherished dream of the Malankara church was realised through the elevation.
Head of Syro-Malankara Church named a Major Archbishop
Vatican, Feb. 10 (CWNews.com) - Pope John Paul II has raised the leader of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church to the title of a Major Archbishop.
Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Malancharuvil has been the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum, in India, and the leader of the Syro-Malankara Church since 1995. With his announcement on February 15, Pope John Paul has raised the sui juris metropolitan see to the rank of a “Major Archiepiscopal Church.”
The Syro-Malankara Church has about 450,000 faithful, virtually all living in five eparchies (dioceses) in India, where they are served by 632 priests. The Syro-Malankara community, centered primarily in the western state of Kerela, has proved to be a major source of priestly and religious vocations; there are currently more than 600 seminarians, and over 2,000 women religious in 17 congregations.
The Syro-Malankars, who trace their religious heritage back to the evangelizing efforts of the St. Thomas the apostle, were among the many Eastern Christians who broke with Rome over the Christological disputes at the Council of Chalcedon. After generations of alliance with the Syrian Orthodox Church, some of these “Thomas Christians” sought to restore full communion with Rome, and in the 1930s the Syro-Malankara Catholic hierarchy was recognized by the Holy See.
With the recognition of a Major Archbishop, the Syro-Malankara now joins the ranks of other Eastern Catholic churches-- most notably the Ukrainian Catholic Church [and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church] – with an autonomous hierarchy headed by a prelate whose rank remains below that of a patriarch.
