Pope Benedict : Syro-Malabar Church active in dialogue
On Monday Pope Benedict XVI received the newly-appointed Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar
Church, Archbishop George Alencherry, along with members of the Permanent Synod of
the Eastern Catholic Church. Archbishop Alencherry succeeded to the helm of the Syro-Malabar
Church - the largest of those founded by Saint Thomas – following the death of Cardinal
Varkey Vithayathil earlier this year. Found primarily in Kerala southern India with
more than 3.6 million believers, the Syro-Malabar Church is also the second largest
Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the Bishop of Rome.
Below the
full text of Pope Benedict’s address to the delegation:
I am pleased to
greet you and the members of the Permanent Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church who have
travelled to Rome in an expression of communion with the Successor of Peter, and I
thank you for your kind words on their behalf and in your own name. This visit is
a significant one, as it comes not long after your election as Major Archbishop.
By coming here, you provide an eloquent sign of the hierarchical communion that you
formally expressed in your recent letter to me requesting confirmation of your election.
Your
predecessor, the late Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, has left a legacy upon which you
and your brother Bishops will surely wish to build. In this context, I would like
to recall the example of the two holy patrons of the Syro-Malabar Church, Saint Alphonsa
Muttathupadathu and Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who were beatified by Blessed
John Paul II, during his visit to Kerala twenty-five years ago. Later, the grace
fell to me to canonize Saint Alphonsa in 2008.
At home, the Syro-Malabar Church
in Kerala continues to enjoy the respect of the local community for its work in education
and for its social and charitable institutions at the service of the whole community.
I know that life for Christians has been complicated by sectarian mistrust and even
violence, but I would urge you to continue to work with people of good will of all
religions in the area, in order to maintain the peace and harmony of the region, for
the good of the Church and that of all citizens.
Within the Church itself,
there are encouraging signs of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life
which will help you to maintain your pastoral outreach. To be kept in mind are the
ongoing challenges in the formation of the clergy and religious, in Christian family
life and in the pastoral care of your faithful. I commend you for your efforts to
maintain the strength of your family structures, the quality of Catholic education
and catechesis at every level, and your pastoral work with youth. I also encourage
you to continue your good work in fostering vocations among young men and women.
In fidelity to the Gospel and to the grace bestowed upon us by Christ our
Lord, you and your faithful have flourished at home and abroad in union with the universal
Church. By fostering your own authentic liturgical tradition, your faithful have
been nourished by word and sacrament in accordance with what was handed down to you
by your fathers in the faith. I am also aware of pastoral initiatives in favour of
Syro-Malabar Catholics scattered throughout the world. As I did during your Ad
Limina Visit in April, allow me again to encourage you in this important task
and, especially with regard to your pastoral outreach to Syro-Malabar Catholics living
beyond your homeland, I ask you to do so always mindful of the essential need for
cooperation with Catholic Bishops and pastors of other rites.
Your Beatitude,
dear Brothers Bishops, with these few thoughts I commend you to the intercession of
Saint Thomas, the great Apostle of India, Saint Alphonsa and Blessed Kuriakose. I
assure you of my affection and prayers and I willingly impart to you, your clergy
and religious and all those entrusted to your care, my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge
of grace and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ.