Latest news with #Syro-Malabar
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Syro-Malabar Church row: Protestors blocking suspended priests held
KOCHI: Tensions flared on Thursday morning outside the Archbishop's House at Broadway, as the police arrested and removed protestors who attempted to block suspended priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese from attending a crucial meeting convened to address the ongoing Syro-Malabar unified Holy Mass dispute. The meeting, scheduled for 10 am, was called by Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. However, by 9 am, a large crowd supporting unified mass had gathered outside the premises. They started shouting slogans declaring that priests who had been suspended for opposing the unified Mass system should not be allowed entry.
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Elevation of Sunny Joseph as KPCC chief reshapes Congress power play
KOCHI: The Congress party's announcement of Sunny Joseph as the new KPCC president has triggered a realignment of internal power blocs, while also showcasing a deliberate attempt at social balancing. The move gave outgoing chief K Sudhakaran a dignified exit and installed his close confidant at the top, keeping his influence intact, said sources. Sunny, a three-time MLA and a practising Syro-Malabar Catholic, enjoys broad acceptability in his constituency and has received 'strong backing from Church leadership, including Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of Tellicherry, Archbishop Thomas Tharayil of Changanacherry, and the Ernakulam Archdiocese,' sources told TNIE. Sources said 'mounting displeasure from influential dioceses' had created pressure on the Congress leadership to ensure that the KPCC president's post went to a Syro-Malabar Christian. The decision is viewed as a strategic step to retain the traditional Catholic vote bank that had started warming up to the BJP. The Congress high command also ensured social balance. Alongside Sunny's elevation, Adoor Prakash, an Ezhava, was made UDF convenor; P C Vishnunath, a Nair, and Shafi Parambil, a Muslim, were appointed working presidents, along with A P Anil Kumar from the SC community. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal succeeded in placing two of his loyalists — Vishnunath and Anil Kumar — in key roles. However, Venugopal's third preferred name, Anto Antony, was left out — marking a significant setback and indicates his waning influence with the Congress High Command. Anto had positioned himself as the Catholic face of the party with 'support from Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church,' but his campaign reportedly suffered due to a lack of acceptance from the Syro-Malabar hierarchy -- especially Changanacherry, Ernakulam-Angamaly, and Tellicherry -- and a disconnect with grassroots workers.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Church condemns protest against Pamplany
Kochi: The Syro Malabar Church stated that the protest and verbal abuse by a group claiming to be church supporters against the major archbishop's vicar mar Joseph Pamplany at the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese headquarters was highly condemnable. The Church emphasised that such disrespectful behaviour towards senior clergy brings public disrepute to the Church. Those who undermine Christian love and mutual respect in disagreements may be seen as obstructing the peace efforts of the Syro-Malabar Bishops' statement added that viewing the peace efforts and dialogues led by mar Pamplany with suspicion, and spreading misinformation to discredit him, contradicts the behaviour expected from 'church supporters'. Operation Sindoor IC-814 hijacking mastermind Abdul Rauf Azhar killed in Op Sindoor Pahalgam attack: India flays Pak for opposing TRF mention in UN statement Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said The efforts to implement a unified Holy Mass format across the Church, and the concessions provided to resolve conflicts, are decisions made collectively by the Syro-Malabar Bishops' synod, not solely by archbishop Pamplany. Misrepresenting these as his unilateral decisions is misleading, the Church statement concessions offered by the synod to avoid disciplinary actions should not be misused to attack mar Pamplany. Protest methods that oppose Christian values and bring shame to the Christian community undermine our collective responsibility to establish unity and peace. In his role as the major archbishop's vicar, Pamplany is working to fully implement the unified Holy Mass format in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese as per the synod's decision. It is essential for everyone to respond to these actions with restraint and it is urged that the issues be understood ecclesiastically and that mar Pamplany, who is making sacrificial efforts for resolution, be given the appropriate space and support, the statement said. Meanwhile, Athiroopatha Samrakshana Samithi, a body of archdiocesan priests, stated that the only option for the authorities as the first step towards peace was to replace the current curia major archbishop must promptly appoint an inquiry commission to investigate the uprising conducted by those claiming to be 'church supporters' and the curia members against the apostolic vicar and punish the culprits as an example, the priests said in a statement.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pope Francis: A bridge-builder vexed by fissures
Pope Francis often surprised the world by breaking Vatican traditions. He elevated several men from remote corners of the world to the rank of cardinal—the highest position in the Catholic Church after the Pope. During his 12-year tenure, he reshaped the pastoral direction of Kerala's three self-governing Churches—Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara—through key appointments of archbishops and bishops, along with timely guidance to clergy and believers. In 2016, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil—then secretary of the Vatican's pontifical council for the pastoral care of migrants and itinerant people—as archbishop of Verapoly. In Kerala's Latin Church hierarchy, Pope Francis picked all three archbishops, including those of Trivandrum and the newly-formed Calicut archdiocese, as well as most of the bishops. He also appointed many archbishops and bishops in Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Churches. Pope Francis had to step in during a tense period in Syro-Malabar Church , the second-largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. When the synod of bishops faced protests from some clergy and laity over financial allegations and property issues at Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese—the seat of the major archbishop—the matter reached the Holy See. Eventually, the Vatican removed Cardinal Mar George Alencherry from his role as major archbishop. In Aug 2021, Syro-Malabar Church's synod ordered a uniform Holy Mass across its 35 eparchies. But clergy and laity in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese resisted, insisting on continuing the people-facing Mass, a practice adopted after the Second Vatican Council. Even a video appeal from the Pope failed to change their stand. Protests turned violent at St. Mary's Basilica in Ernakulam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Was Beautiful, Now Its Hard To Look At Her Crowdy Fan Undo Pope Francis worked hard to strengthen ecumenical ties with various Orthodox Christian Churches. He led key meetings with Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem-II of Antioch, head of Syrian Orthodox Church, who recently consecrated a Catholicos for Malankara Jacobite Church in Lebanon. He also invited the Catholicos of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, based in Kottayam. In Nov 2024, a delegation of eight bishops from the synod of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church met him at the Vatican. Pope Francis, the first pope to visit the Arabian Peninsula, played a key role in building bridges between the Christian and Islamic worlds. He signed the Declaration of Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. His strong stand against the 'madness of war' and the destruction in Gaza won widespread support, especially from Kerala's peace-loving Muslim community. In Dec 2024, he hosted Sivagiri Mutt's centenary commemoration of Sree Narayana Guru's historic all-religion conference at the Vatican, praising Kerala's tradition of religious harmony. (Chief editor, Jeevanaadam)
Hindustan Times
21-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Church leaders in Delhi mourn passing of Pope Francis; remember his legacy of humility, reform
New Delhi, Several churches in Delhi on Monday expressed grief over the demise of Pope Francis by hoisting black flags and holding condolence meetings as clergies remembered him as a humble reformer who served with deep compassion. The death of Pope Francis on Monday morning has left a deep void in the Christian world, with Church leaders across denominations expressing sorrow and remembering his legacy of humility, compassion, and reform. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced the passing of Pope Francis, saying, "At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised." Mar Demetrios, President of Department of Ecumenical Relations, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in Delhi, said, "The passing away of His Holiness Pope Francis, a beloved and inspiring spiritual leader not only of the Catholic Church but for all Christians, is indeed a sad event." "His life was characterised by humility and a dedication to pastoral care. His openness to dialogue and engagement with all churches was a true reflection of his ecumenical spirit," Demetrios said. Pope Francis had a close bond with the head of the Malankara Church, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, and that the Church feels a deep personal loss, he added. Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto of the Archdiocese of Delhi remembered Pope Francis as a "warm, loving, and affectionate person" who supported people in both their joys and struggles. "When I became Archbishop in 2013, I met Pope Francis. He told me, 'Go ahead, don't be afraid, the Lord is with you'. He always used to say, 'I pray for you, so you also pray for me,' that was the simplicity I found in him," he said. Archbishop Couto also shared that Pope Francis had requested a simple funeral, without the grandeur typically associated with papal funerals. "He will not be buried in the Vatican Crypt but in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, a place he frequently visited," he said. The church will pray for his holy soul. Condolence meeting and mass will be held in his memory, he added. Faridabad's Syro-Malabar Catholic Bishop, Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, recalled his time living in the same residence as Pope Francis at Domus Sanctae Marthae during his visit to Rome. "He always wanted to bring the Church closer to all sections of society, especially the marginalised. That's why he introduced the idea of 'synodality' and reimagined the Church as an inverted pyramid, placing himself at the bottom, serving others," said Bharanikulangara. He added that Pope Francis reformed the Roman Curia by simplifying and decentralising the Vatican's administration. "He chose to live in a guest house rather than the papal palace, reflecting his desire for a humble lifestyle," he said. The Pope also established a council of cardinals, known as the G9, to advise him and draft a new constitution for Church governance. One of the members was an Indian cardinal. Pope Francis also promoted gender equality by appointing women to senior roles within the Church, Bharanikulangara added. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on February 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy.
