Malankara orthodox church leader pays tribute to Pope Francis

Time of India

21-04-2025

Pope Francis
KOTTAYAM: Pope
Francis
' passing is causing deep sorrow among Christian believers, said Metropolitan Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. "We share in the grief of the Catholic
Church
, which has lost a great shepherd," he added.
"The first thing I remember in this context is my meeting with the Pope in 2023. He called me 'beloved, long-awaited brother.' It was a warm experience of love and affection, like being at home. On that day, the Pope, while speaking of the unity of the Church that began with the Second Vatican Council, mentioned the meeting between Baselios Augen I and
Saint Paul VI
, and the meeting between Marthoma Mathews I and
Saint John Paul II
. The words of the Pope on that occasion still resonate in my mind: 'The faith of
Saint Thomas
was inseparable from the experience of the wounds of the body of Christ. The divisions that have occurred among us Christians throughout history are painful wounds inflicted on the body of Christ, which is the Church.'"
Among the many things that have made the Pope immortal in our memory, the most important are the loving missions he carried out for Christian unity. The Pope was always a messenger of such unity. He always spoke in praise of the unity of Christian brothers and sisters.
I also recall the Fifth Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Meeting held in February this year under the auspices of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. While welcoming those who came to participate in it, the Pope spoke mainly about the importance of unity. Along with those from Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, and Eritrean churches, young priests and monks from the Malankara Church participated in the meeting. The Malankara Orthodox Church remembers the Pope's address with pride. He specifically mentioned similar study visits held in the Armenian Church and the Malankara Orthodox Church. He also expressed gratitude for such various meetings of an exchange nature.
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The Pope's words, "how good it would be if we experienced unity with Christians of all traditions when reciting the Creed," were the hope of the great Priest who sees everyone as one. Christ is the embodiment of compassion. The Pope's journey as the head of the Catholic Church was by creating the springs of humanity that Christ taught through his life. Therefore, the Pope, who is a lover of humanity, has no death in the minds.
His stance on modern slavery and human trafficking is just one example of his concern for others. The Pope did not see human trafficking as a mere sign of profiteering. He sought a solution to it by assessing it as a consequence of global phenomena ranging from war and famine to climate change. The Pope called for worldwide prevention and response to human trafficking.
The same tenderness permeates a letter he signed before he fell ill and was hospitalised. The Pope was expressing his support for the efforts of the American Catholic Church to protect the rights of refugees and immigrants in a letter. The local church leadership there is resisting the government's move to deport refugees and illegal immigrants in the United States. By joining hands with it through the letter, the Pope also became a prophet of universal humanity.
One of the brightest leaders in the Christian churches is fading with the passing of the Pope. But the light of his visions will remain throughout the world, said the Metropolitan.