Head of Syro Malabar Church becomes Cardinal

The head of one of the Catholic Church’s biggest eastern rite churches becomes Cardinal in the Consistory February 18^th.

Major Archbishop of the four million-strong Syro Malabar Church, Archbishop Mar George Alencherry received his Cardinal’s ring in the solemn ceremony. In an interview with Vatican Radio ahead of the consistory, he explains that the roots of his church's tradition can be found in St. Thomas himself who brought Christianity to India some two thousand years ago.

The Syro Malabar Church is one of three Catholic churches in India which include the Latin rite and the Syro Malankara rite. During early colonial times, missionaries introduced the Latin rite in the country and since then, Archbishop Alencherry explains that his Syro Malabar Church’s rites have maintained a mix of Latin and eastern traditions.

In a big change from the past where the Major Archbishop was appointed by the Pope in Rome, Archbishop Alencherry is the first Syro Malabar Church leader to be elected by a synod of bishops. The event was an important milestone for the Syro Malabar Church which Pope John Paul II raised to “sui iuris” or autonomous status in communion with the Church in Rome.

Like many faithful from eastern rite churches in the Diaspora, many Syro Malabar Catholics find themselves married or raising children in a different Catholic rite. Archbishop Alencherry speaks of the challenges this situation poses to the faithful and to the bishops of eastern rite churches who are keen to keep ancient eastern traditions alive. In doing so, he urges cooperation from all sides, including from Latin rite Church leaders.

“Mutual dialogue will certainly improve the situation,” he says, “but Latin bishops always think about jurisdiction which is territorial. They think territory is given to them and nobody (else) has any right to do things there – all should be done through them. But according to our tradition, things can only be done by our priests and bishops. This is a real problem.”

“There is nothing impeding the Apostolic See to entrust that this works because every church has to grow in its own way.”

Archbishop Alencherry expresses his hope that the upcoming Post-Synodal Document from last October’s Synod of Bishops for the Middle East will address the problem of cooperation between religious of the various Catholic rites.

“The Church has to address that problem because the Universal Church is a communion of individual churches. Even though some of the individual churches are very small, small communities, we have to protect them and we have to cherish their heritage and keep them in the Universal Church and it is the task of the Latin bishops and churches to protect it.”

The Major Archbishop cites the United States and Australia, where he says the cooperation between churches of different rites is very good. But in other countries, he says, “I don’t know why, (but) they’re not very open to this question.”

Listen to more of the interview with Major Archbishop Alencherry in this program by Tracey McClure: