Pope tells Syro-Malankara in Europe that their tradition is a gift for all
Leo XIV met in the Vatican with a group of faithful from the Eastern-rite Catholic community, which is set to mark the centenary of its return to full communion with Rome in 2032. The pontiff urged them to preserve their unique identity even in the diaspora where many live today.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV received in audience in the Vatican a group of pilgrims from the Syro- Malankara churches living in Europe, led by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop of this Indian Eastern-rite Catholic community.
In his address, the pontiff explained that even in the diaspora, Eastern Catholic Churches can continue to draw on their traditions, nurture friendship with Jesus, and offer new spiritual riches to the ecclesial communities of the countries where they live.
For Leo, the meeting is part of “an intense multi-year journey of spiritual renewal” in preparation for the centenary of the Syro-Malankara Church reintegration into the Catholic Church.
In 1932, with the Apostolic Constitution Christo Pastorum Principi, Pius XI established the hierarchy of this community, which thus became one of the 23 Eastern Rite Catholic Churches.
The main player of that journey of rediscovery of ecclesial communion with Rome was the first Major Archbishop, Mar Ivanios, also known as the “Newman of the East” because, like John Henry Newman (a 19th-century Anglican who became a Catholic theologian), he journeyed from his spiritual tradition to the rediscovered unity with the Catholic Church.
Citing his greatness, Pope Francis in 2024 recognised the heroism of his virtues, while Pope Leo said that, “He beautifully exemplified that ‘great desire for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world’ of which I spoke at the Solemn Mass for the Inauguration of my Pontificate.”
“[E]ver since its inception,” Leo told the pilgrims, “your Church has always been a beacon of evangelical energy and apostolic charity, bringing social justice, education and integral human development to those on the margins of society.”
Today, it is also urgent to preserve and promote “the inestimable treasures incarnated by all the Eastern Churches especially in the growing diaspora”.
The establishment of an eparchy in America and Pope Leo XIV’s recent decision to appoint for the first time a full-time apostolic visitor for Syro-Malankara Catholics in Europe, Bishop Kuriakose Mar Osthathios, go in this direction.
“His responsibility,” the pope explained, “is to survey the current state of pastoral care with a view to making proposals to the local Bishops and to the Holy See for the spiritual good of the faithful.”
This path seeks to ensure that “future generations of Syro-Malankara faithful will continue to deepen their friendship with the Lord Jesus through engagement with their unique traditions, thus benefiting the Catholic Church as a whole.”
Finally, “Dear brothers and sisters, I ask all of you to promote greater awareness about the precious identity of the Syro-Malankara Church and your own identification with it, by participating in its ecclesial life and experiencing your unique heritage, aware of your great dignity, while remaining united to the Major Archbishop and Synod of Bishops.”
Likewise, “Knowing that the Saint Thomas Christians of India have a well-deserved reputation for devout families from which arise many vocations to the priesthood and religious life, I pray that strong faith may continue to thrive in your homes and your hearts, particularly in those of the young.”
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19/07/2016 12:53
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