Superior General, Fr. Louis Moolaveetil’s death shocks Church
A pall of gloom fell on the Church following the murder of Imitation of Christ Superior General Father Louis Moolaveetil in Nagpur, central India, Sept 17.Father Moolaveetil and Father Mathew Thuruthil were on their way to the airport when two unidentified youths on a motorbike shot at them. They...
Bishops’ meet begins with call for reconciliation and communion
A Syro Malankara rite Mass attended by nearly 5,000 people Nov. 9 inaugurated the biennial meeting of the Catholic Bishops´ Conference of India (CBCI) here in the northeastern state of Meghalaya.Celebrated by CBCI president Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios Varghese Thangalathil of Trivandrum and concelebrated by bishops of the other...
Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios acclaims draft of new canon law for oriental churches
The Canon Law for Oriental Churches now awaiting papal approval will give greater autonomy to member Churches, claims Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios of the Syro-Malankara archdiocese of Trivandrum.In a message aired Nov. 19 by Vatican Radio, the Oriental prelate, president of the Catholic Bishops´ Conference of India, told listeners...
Unity in Church and State is the main task of the new CBCI President
Promoting unity in the Church and in the state is one of the priorities of the president of the Catholic Bishops´ Conference of India (CBCI), according to Syro-Malankara Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios of Trivandrum, who was elected to CBCI presidency in late April.Unity was a major theme of the...
Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregarios is head of Bishop’s conference
Archbishop Benedict Varghese Gregorios Thangalathil of Trivandrum, an Oriental-rite bishop, was overwhelmingly elected president of the Catholic Bishops´ Conference of India (CBCI) April 16.Archbishop Mar Gregorios, who had served as CBCI vice president, succeeds Archbishop Simon Pimenta of Bombay, a Latin-rite prelate. About 98 Latin-rite and 25 Oriental-rite bishops...
Pope John Paul II Upholds Equal Status for Syro-Malankara and Other Catholic Rites in India
New Delhi, July 14, 1987 – In a historic move, Pope John Paul II has issued a declaration affirming equal rights and status to the Syro-Malankara, Syro-Malabar, and Latin rites of the St. Thomas Christians, a community tracing its roots back to the apostolic times. This decision underscores the...
Address Of John Paul II During The Prayer Meeting At The Airport Of Trivandrum
Trivandrum (India)Saturday, 8 February 1986Dearly Beloved in Christ,1. My pilgrim steps have brought me to Trivandrum!To you, my brothers and sisters of this part of Kerala, I repeat the greeting of the Apostle Paul: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" ....
Syro-Malabar Church Seeks Autonomy Amidst Pope’s Visit, Echoing Syro-Malankara Aspirations
Cochin, India, February 1, 1986 – As Pope John Paul II's visit to India commences, the Syro-Malabar Church, along with the Syro-Malankara Church, eagerly anticipates the Pontiff's arrival. Both Churches, rooted in the apostolic tradition of St. Thomas, are looking towards a future of greater ecclesiastical independence from Rome.The...
Indian Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios Proposes Novel Solution to US Unemployment Crisis
Pittsburgh, September 19, 1982 - Archbishop Metropolitan Benedict Mar Gregorios of Kerala, India, during his visit to Western Pennsylvania, shared his unique perspective on tackling the growing unemployment issue in the United States. The head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in India, Archbishop Gregorios, proposed an approach focused on...
Letter Of John Paul II To The Malankara Catholic Church On The 50th Anniversary Of The Union To The Catholic Church
To the Bishops of the Malankara Catholic ChurchOn this solemn occasion my heart is filled with joy in the Lord. For it is with deep gladness that we are commemorating 20 September 1930 as a day of grace when, in the presence of Bishop Aloysius Maria Benziger, specially deputed...
