Mar Raphael Thattil the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church to the Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Men and Women and Lay Faithful of the Syro-Malabar Church. May the grace of the Lord be with you all!
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
The II Session of the XXXIII Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church was held from 18 to 29 August 2025, at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia, Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad. The Synod commenced by respectfully commemorating the passing away of His Holiness Pope Francis, who deeply loved the Syro-Malabar Church and opened new horizons for the Church’s growth, and also recalled with reverence the enthronement of Pope Leo XIV, who upholds a clear vision regarding the mission of the Eastern Churches. The Synod Fathers engaged in prayer and deliberations realizing that the Church remains committed to toil tirelessly, despite many crises and challenges, for the fulfilment of the mission entrusted to us by our Lord.
Religious Freedom: An Integral Element of Indian Culture
Founded on the principle of “unity in diversity,” Indian culture has always granted freedom to all, irrespective of caste, creed, or colour. The Constitution of India safeguards the right of every individual to believe, live, and proclaim the faith of one’s choice, provided it does not compromise the integrity of the nation. It is indeed most unfortunate that the invaluable contributions made by Christians for the upliftment of the marginalized through missionary service in health, education, and social sectors over centuries are disregarded and reduced merely to a matter of religion by sectarian agendas. Equally distressing are the acts of discrimination and hate campaigns against Christians, as well as the denial of even the basic freedom of movement to our priests, religious, and lay missionaries in several places, which constitutes a violation of fundamental rights. The Syro-Malabar Church proudly remembers all missionaries who, in response to the love of Christ, dedicate their lives to the service of the Church and society. May the Word of God, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom. 8: 35-37) strengthen us.
Safeguarding Unity is Our Obligation
‘In Christ we are all one’ (In Illo Uno Unum) is the motto of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. To remain one in the same Church is the greatest proclamation of the Gospel. Although eparchies were erected in different parts of the world and provisions were made for the pastoral care, the differences in the mode of celebration of the Holy Qurbana adversely affected our sense of unity. It was to remedy this situation that the Church desired to implement the uniform mode of celebration of the Holy Qurbana, which was decided by the Synod and approved by the Apostolic See. In this regard, the Church gratefully remembers the eparchies and parishes where the uniform mode has been fully implemented. The uniform mode of celebration of the Holy Qurbana, on which the Holy Father has definitively decided, must henceforth remain unchanged throughout the Syro-Malabar Church. The circular dated 26 June 2025, addressed exclusively to the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, is in continuity with this decision. The Synod gratefully remembers the priests of that Archeparchy who have begun celebrating one Holy Qurbana on Sundays and on other days of obligation in the uniform mode, in accordance with this circular. The Synod has entrusted the Major Archbishop and the Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy with the responsibility of implementing the uniform mode gradually, fostering unity.
The lack of unity in liturgy deeply pains us all. True unity cannot be achieved by wounding one another; rather, we must strive to become those who heal and strengthen, not those who cause division. The first step in resolving the existing differences regarding the uniform liturgical practice is to listen to the Holy Spirit, to submit to the Church, and to foster reconciliation between individuals and communities. Let us recall the words of St. Paul the Apostle: “He is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups one and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.” (Eph. 2:14). Therefore, the entire Church is firmly committed to eliminating divisions and thereby leading all towards reconciliation. As the Holy Father Pope Francis reminded us in his message to our Church: “Preserving unity is not merely good advice; it is an obligation.” Let us recognize that the duty of preserving unity rests upon every believer.
Grow in Love for the Holy Qurbana
The Holy Qurbana is the source and summit of Christian life. In the Holy Qurbana, we experience those precious moments of our Lord coming to us, though we are sinners and unworthy. The Holy Qurbana must therefore be approached with utmost reverence and devotion. It has been a cause of deep pain and scandal to the Church that certain incidents of disrespect towards the Holy Qurbana have occurred, disturbing and troubling many. While human remedies are inadequate, to grow in devotion to the Holy Qurbana and to make reparation for the offences committed against it, I call upon the entire Syro-Malabar Church to hold one hour of Eucharistic Adoration on Friday, 12 September 2025.
The Synodality of the Church
The Synod of Bishops on Synodality, held in Rome during the years 2023 and 2024, marked a significant step in redefining the life of the Church in tune with the demands of our times. Affirming the conviction that in the Church we are all fellow pilgrims, the Synod sought ways to reshape ecclesial structures into genuine spaces of listening and dialogue. Through wide-ranging discussions at different levels, the Synod took efforts to hear the voices of as many as possible and entrusted the eparchies with the responsibility of discerning, formulating, and implementing suitable pastoral plans.
Year of Community Empowerment 2026
The Major Archiepiscopal Assembly held in the Eparchy of Palai expressed the realization that, as a community, we have fallen behind in several areas of social life where once we had the upper hand. Our declining numbers, together with the migration of the younger generation to foreign lands, now pose serious challenges to our very survival. To address these concerns and to foster a stronger sense of community among us, the Syro-Malabar Church is observing 2026 as the Year of Community Empowerment. This year invites all to initiate awareness programmes and to formulate and implement concrete plans that would facilitate the march of our community to the mainstream, under the initiative of every eparchy.
New Metropolitan Provinces
Writing a new chapter in the history of the growth of the Syro-Malabar Church, we could erect four new Metropolitan Provinces outside Kerala and reorganise the vast territories of the Eparchy of Shamshabad, with the approval of the Apostolic See, by joining certain regions with other eparchies for better pastoral care and by redefining their boundaries. This is a significant step towards restoring the ancient ecclesial structure of the St. Thomas Christians, who once exercised pastoral jurisdiction across the whole of India. The Synod extends prayerful good wishes to the Eparchies of Faridabad, Ujjain, Kalyan, and Shamshabad, which are elevated to Metropolitan Provinces, and to their Metropolitans: Mar Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, Mar Sebastian Vadakel, Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, and Mar Prince Antony Panengadan, respectively.
New Bishops for the Church
His Excellency Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, who for the past eight years has rendered commendable service to the Syro-Malabar Church as Curia Bishop, is appointed the third Bishop of the Eparchy of Kalyan and its first Metropolitan. I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon him whose deep spirituality, fraternal spirit, and pastoral zeal will be at his advantage in his new mission. I would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Mar Thomas Elavanal MCBS, who, for the past twenty-nine years, shepherded the Eparchy of Kalyan and made significant contributions to the development of the liturgical texts of the Syro-Malabar Church. I am happy to felicitate Rev. Msgr. James Patteril, a member of the Claretian Congregation (CMF), has been appointed the second Bishop of the Eparchy of Belthangady. May his missionary fervour and pastoral competence lead the eparchy to greater heights! With gratitude, the Synod recalls the service of Mar Lawrence Mukkuzhy, who shepherded the Eparchy of Belthangady for the past twenty-six years and guided it through the period of infancy to growth and maturity. I also congratulate Rev. Msgr. Joseph Thachaparambath CMI, who has been appointed the new Bishop of the Eparchy of Adilabad. I am sure that his deep faith and rich pastoral experience will empower him to provide able leadership to the eparchy. I want to place on record the service of Mar Prince Antony Panengadan, who, with great missionary zeal, led the Eparchy of Adilabad for the past ten years and now continues his service in Shamshabad.
Dearly Beloved,
We must grow in the awareness that the Syro-Malabar Church is a fully Eastern Church, and it is by safeguarding its ancient traditions that she is called to fulfil her mission in the Universal Church. As Pope Leo XIV, in his address at the Jubilee celebrations of the Eastern Churches, reminded us: “The contributions that the Eastern Churches can offer to the Universal Church are indeed immense. It is an urgent need of our times to recover the sense of divine mystery that remains vividly alive in your liturgical traditions. These traditions celebrate the beauty of salvation that embraces the human person in his wholeness; they proclaim the glory of God in a way that awakens awe at how divine majesty stoops to embrace human weakness. The liturgical heritage of the Orient must be preserved and revitalized, not lost in the name of practicality or convenience.” It is certain that our collective efforts will bear fruit when we are prepared to study deeply and cherish the Eastern identity and uniqueness of our liturgical patrimony. The history of our Church is one that has shone brightly with strength amidst many challenges. As a community called to proclaim the Gospel to the very ends of the earth, we have to labour tirelessly for the kingdom. Drawing strength from the Word of God and the sacraments, may we grow together in communion and thus strengthen the mission of the Church.
May the intercession and blessings of Holy Mary our Mother, St. Joseph, St. Thomas the Apostle, all the Saints, and the Blesseds be with us and all our endeavours!
