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The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
No invitation for peace talks: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church here on Thursday reiterated its stance that the collective of Oriental Orthodox Churches had neither convened a meeting nor extended an invitation for peace talks. In a statement, Youhanon Mar Diascoros, head of the Church's media wing, said that claims suggesting that the heads of three Oriental Churches invited the Orthodox Church leadership to Cairo to resolve the Malankara Church dispute was unfounded. 'It is understood that the three Oriental Churches in the Middle East gathered solely to celebrate the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Some have misinterpreted this as a meeting of Oriental Churches. The union of Oriental Orthodox Churches comprises seven churches, including the Malankara Orthodox Church and no such forum has convened or made any decision in recent days,' it said. He further claimed that other members in the Oriental Church family have denounced the move of the three Churches in the Middle East. 'The Antiochian and Coptic Patriarchs and the head of the Armenian Church in Lebanon were present at the meeting. The main Armenian Church, the Apostolic Church of Etchmiadzin, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church are not participants in this meeting. The move made by the churches in the Middle East with vested interests has been rejected by other churches in the Oriental Orthodox community,' Orthodox church stated. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church added that the Oriental Orthodox family, including the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, is clearly aware of the situation in India. 'Other churches responded positively to the letter sent by the Inter-Church Ecumenical department of the Malankara Orthodox Church. The matters, including the final judgment of the Supreme Court of India, were brought to the attention of the church leadership,' it said.
New Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Churches hold special prayers for country and frontline soldiers
KOCHI: Churches of various Christian denominations in Kerala, led by their vicars and supreme heads, prayed for divine intervention on Sunday to ease tensions and end the conflict between India and Pakistan. Prayers were also offered for the safety of Indian soldiers on the front line. The Malankara Orthodox Church, led by Metropolitan and Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, offered prayers for the country and for the soldiers. The parishioners also prayed that peace be restored without further escalation. 'For us living in the southern tip of India, the war may be just news. However, there is a large community in India's border villages whose life and livelihood are in crisis. Many soldiers, including those from Kerala, are on the battlefield. Their families are worried. It is the commitment of every Indian to work for the country. However, we should realise that wars and riots are always a threat to society's existence,' the Catholicos said in a communique to the laity. Jacobite Church members too offered special prayers on Sunday. Catholicos Baselios Joseph I, in a message to the laity, said, 'War and riots are challenges to humanity. This is the time to pray for the country. Our prayer should be that we are not dragged into war and that peace is restored. May God strengthen the country's rulers to lead India to security and peace with diplomatic excellence at this crucial juncture.' He said this was the time 'for us to face this adverse situation with unity, beyond party, religious and political factions, along with the country.' 'We should pray with one heart that the clouds of unrest be lifted and the blue sky of peace spread, and that lasting peace be established in the country as soon as possible,' he said.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Malankara orthodox church leader pays tribute to Pope Francis
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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Start Here - 2025 Top Trend Local network access control Esseps Learn More Undo 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.
