Intervention of H. B. Baselios Cleemis THOTTUNKAL, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars (INDIA)

Communion is basically derived from the most Holy Trinity. This Divine reality is reflected in all the salvific works of Lord Jesus Christ, hence, His body, the Church, has to transmit the same reality-communion. The Church universal is a communion of Churches, celebrating the one and the same saving acts of the Lord in diverse traditions, presided over by the bishops of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, the head of the Apostolic College. Hence Ecclesial Communion demands a deep sense of spiritual communion. Any attempt to deepen the sense and need of Ecclesial Communion, be it ad intra or ad extra, we all must inherit personally the spirituality of communion and transmit it as Christ’s body.
As we are engaged in deepening our Christian witnessing in the Middle East, I feel that our efforts for attaining full communion with our sister orthodox churches must be strengthened. As Pope John Paul II of happy memory suggested, a new form of petrine ministry is to be sought without abandoning what is essential to the ministry of the bishop of Rome as the supreme Pontiff (ut unum sint qs). Full communion with our sister churches in the Middle East will graciously increase our communion and witnessing in the world.
Our common commitment, with Muslims, Jews and all the religions and people of good will is to promote Justice everywhere by siding with those God loves and cares for, and asks us to do the same, so that human beings remain the crown of creation in our present world.

[00064-02.03] [IN043] [Original text: English]