The ecclesiology of Communion from the Eastern Perspective

The ecclesiology of Communion from the Eastern Perspective

Dr Martin Thomas Antony

Introduction

ܥܲܠ ܫܲܝܢܵܐ ܘܐܵܘܝܘܼܬܼܵܐ ܘܩܘܼܝܵܡܵܐ ܕܟܼܠܹܗ ܥܵܠܡܵܐ ܘܲܕܟܼܠܗܹܝ̈ܢ ܥܹܕܵܬܼܵܐܼ̈: ܒܵܥܹܿܝܢܲܢ ܡܸܢܵܟ.

(Al shaina u awyusa u khuyama d kolle alma w’d kolheyn edasa bayenan

mennak)

For the peace, unity and stability of the whole world and all the churches, we

pray to you. This prayer from the karozutha in the Holy Qurbana of the Syro

Malabar church is an example of the sense of communion of Churches from the

Eastern perspective.

Communion is a gift of God, the Ruha D Khudhsa himself. Through the

sacrament of initiation, with the seal of the Ruha D Khudsha, we all are

becoming children of God. This is a communion with God, a relationship with

God. In the same way, through the same communion, we are in a new

relationship with our fellow brothers and sisters who are also children of God.

Thus, communion is the new life in the Ruha D Khudhsa common to all

disciples of the M’shiha 1 .

Through baptism, we are formed in the likeness of the M’shiha. Through

partaking in the body of the Lord, in the Eucharist, all the Christians are taken

up into communion with the M’shiha and with one another 2 . ‘Because the bread

is one, we though many, are one body, all of us who partake the one bread’. (1

Cor 10:17)

Lumen Gentium views the Church as people made one with the unity of the

Father, the Son and the Holy Ruha 3 . (LG4)

Different streams of Christianity

Christianity evolved in three streams- Syriac Orient, Greek East and the Latin

West. Aramaic was the language and culture of Isho M’shiha and his disciples.

It was the language in which Gawriel Malaka spoke to Marth Maryam and Mar

Yawseph. It was in the same language the words broke out from heaven at river

Yordanan at the time of Mamodeesa of our Lord Isho M’shiha. Palestinian

Aramaic was the language of the common people at the time of Isho M’shiha in

Jerusalem and Palestine. The Church that was founded on the Apostles (sleehe)

developed in Aramaic language and culture. This Palestinian Aramaic or

Christian Aramaic evolved as Syriac language in Edessa. Ashoka’s bilingual

edicts containing Aramaic from 260 BC found at Kandahar show that Aramaic

was the lingua franca from Edessa to Persia and Parthia during that period.

Thus, the Syriac stream of Christianity evolved around the Syriac schools in

Edessa and Nisbis, spreading to the east in Persia, Parthia and India.

Soon after Pentecost, the Church spread out to Greek cities like Antioch where

gentiles also became followers of M’shiha where they were called Christians for

the first time. Thus, the Greek Stream of Christianity evolved. At the time of

Isho M’shiha, Greek was the Imperial language, the universal language and the

language of the elite as the English language today. All the books of the New

Testament were written in Greek.

Later, Christianity developed in Rome in Latin language and culture and spread

out to the western lands.

Catholic Church- Communion of all particular Churches-Fullness of revelations

Isho M’shiha founded his church on the Sleehe(Apostles). The Church was born

on Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Ruha over the Sleehe(Apostles) and

the disciples. The Apostles and disciples became brave and started proclaiming

the Gospel thus the Church was born. The disciples were sent to different

nations to proclaim the gospel. They founded Churches in nations with various

languages and cultures existed. These churches and communities received the

gospel and interpreted the divine revelations in their languages, cultures and

perspectives.

These different streams of Christianity represent the interpretation of the divine

revelation from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and perspectives.

The fullness of revelation constitutes all these interpretations and related

doctrines and theologies.

These different churches and congregations existed all over the Roman Empire

and in the East in Persia, Parthia and up to India.

St Ignatius of Rome, a disciple of Mar Yohannan Sleeha in his Epistles to

Smyrneans, wrote in AD 110 that the Church is Catholic because it is the

communion of all the local churches with their Bishops 4 . Another document of

the Church of Smyrna on the occasion of the martyrdom of St Polycarp in AD

69-115 narrates that the Catholic church is the aggregation of all the local

churches and congregations 5 . Saint Cyril of Jerusalem of the fourth century

wrote that the Church is Catholic not just because it has spread all over the

world, but because it teaches all the doctrines fully without any defects 6 . Thus,

the Church Fathers who are the early witnesses of Isho M’shiha and the

disciples described the Church of Christ as Catholic in terms of communion of

all the local particular churches and congregations which represents the fullness

of revelations and teaches all these revelations as doctrines fully and without

any defect. There were several councils in the primitive church represented by

these different Churches and congregations to discuss disputes and

disagreements about faith matters. They were in communion.

Communion -Eastern Churches' perspective

For eastern Churches, especially the Syriac Orient, the Church was the liturgical

assembly and nothing more 7 . For Greek East and the Latin West, both represent

the political division of the Roman Empire as East and West, the Church was an

ecclesial organisation with a systematic hierarchical structure, discipline and

governance. Primacy and subjugation were important factors for communion for

the Western church. Therefore, the communion of churches became part of

juridical governance. But for the Syriac Orient, communion was taking part and

sharing in the same mysteries of salvation. For Syriac Fathers like Severus of

Antioch, John of Ephesus and John of Beth Aphtonia, communion was

participation in the same eucharist 8 . Confession of the true faith, general

agreement of Bishops and the faithful and the teaching of the fathers constitute

true communion, thus heretics were outside the communion. Communion was

always within the church.

Communion -East Syriac perspective

A sense of belonging to the Universal Church is a prominent theme, especially

in the East Syriac liturgical sources 9 .

Primacy of the Bishop was not a criterion for communion among the Syriac

churches but the East Syriacs always considered the Bishop of Rome as primus.

Even though the east Syriac church was separated from the Greco Roman

churches due to political strifes between the Persian and Roman empires and

thereby they could not attend the Council of Ephesus or Council of Chalcedon

or other councils, they always considered the Bishop of Rome as primus. This

can be seen in different historical events.

Narsai considered Rome as the head of faith. Because Peter, the prince of the

twelve as in the head fixed the eyes of faith in Rome 10 . The Nicean canons

(Arabic canons) were accepted by the Church of the East from the time of Mar

Isaac in AD 410 which narrates the primacy of Rome 11 .

In about AD 470, Mana, the east Syriac Bishop of Riwardashir translated the

works of Diodore and Theodore of Mopseustia from Greek into Syriac and sent

them to India and China as narrated in Chronicles of Seert suggesting the

communion with the western Greco Roman Churches 12 .

Even though many historians considered the church of the East as an anti-

Ephesian synod and out of Catholic communion, Babai the Great (551-628AD)

who is considered the author of the authentic Christology of the East Syriac

church in his hymn Breek hannana dawthyboose used in the liturgy of hours and

also in his work Book of Union, proclaims the Chalcedonian Christology in par

with the Greco Roman Churches.

Later, East Syriac Patriarch Isho Yahb II (628-643AD) visited Antioch to

reconcile with the Greco Roman Churches (Antioch was part of the Roman

Church then) with the appellation of faith ‘our belief in a Christ who, as Perfect

Man, was consubstantial with us; – and who, as Perfect God, was

consubstantial with the Father, in one “Personalitas” 13 .

Primacy of Rome- East Syriac Perspective.

Isho Yahb III of Adiabene

Patriarch Isho Yahb III of Adiabene (AD 650-660) affirms that ‘He that of Rome

shall be head according to the order of the Apostles which they have established

in their ecumenical canons. To the great Rome was given the primacy and

headship of the Patriarchate’ 14 .

Timothy I the Great

East Syriac Patriarch Timothy I the Great (778-823 AD) in a letter addressed to

the chief of the faithful in India preserved in the works of Ben Attibus of

Baghdad, a canonist of the East Syriac Church wrote ‘…and thus the obedience

is to be exhibited by all towards the Roman Patriarch, for he holds the place of

Simon Kepa…..’ acknowledging the primacy of Petrine See of Rome 15 .

Metropolitan Elias Damasceneus, a canonist of the East Syriac Church in his

canons narrates ‘….and let him be the superior who is Rome as the Apostles

ordered’….. ‘The first patriarch is the Patriarch of Rome, who has so much

honour and eminence over all other patriarchs…’ 16

Elias of Anabara

Elias of Anabara-(AD 920), East Syrian Bishop of Anabara who was a

theologian wrote ‘…. our lord conferred upon Peter in what is built by Peter

might remain firm and stable to the end… 17

Abdallaha Benaatibus

Eminent canonist of the East Syrian church Abdallaha Benaatibus of 11 century

in his canons wrote ‘….like the number of four parts of the globe, the

Patriarchs are to be four and their chief, the Patriarch of Rome as the apostles

have ordained…’ 18

These show that the East Syriac church was in communion with the Greco

Roman Churches especially the Petrine See of Rome even though there were no

juridical relationships.

Since the time of the Crusades, there have been communications between

various Popes and the East Syriac church. Rev Dr Placid Podipara in his work

The Church of Selucia and its Catholic communion enumerates several

examples 19 .

East Syriac Church: Communion with Petrine See of Rome

Sabrisho V

Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254) sent Dominican Friars to the East Syriac and

Jacobite Patriarchs and the East Syriac Patriarch Sabrisho V gladly accepted

them. Patriarch's vicar Rabban Ara, representing the whole Selucian church

submitted a letter to the Pope along with a letter from Chinese Christians and

Metropolitan Isho Yahb of Nisbis and two other Archbishops and three Bishops.

Ramban Bar Sauma

A more illustrious story is that of the visit of Ramban Bar Sauma to Rome as

the Patriarchal visitor in AD 1288 20 . Ramban Bar Sauma and his disciple Monk

Markose were Mongols in ethnicity from Peking and travelled to Jerusalem as

pilgrims. They could not reach Jerusalem due to wars and reached Baghdad to

visit their Patriarch. Patriarch Denha I consecrated Monk Markose as a

Metropolitan for Catay and Ong(China) as Yahb Allaha (Jaballaha). But

Patriarch Denha I died soon and Jaballaha was elected as the next Patriarch of

the East Syriac Church as Jaballaha III(1281-1317AD)

Patriarch Jaballaha sent his teacher Ramban Bar Sauma as the Patriarchal

visitor to Rome and Europe to seek help to free Jerusalem.

Ramban Bar Sauma reached Rome in 1287. As Pope Honorius died on April 3

1287, they met the 12-member College of Cardinals and then proceeded to

Paris. On their return, they met Pope Nicholas IV who was one among the 12

cardinals they met earlier. Ramban Bar Sauma was cordially received. Ramban

Bar Sauma was allowed to celebrate East Syriac Liturgy in Rome on the V

Sunday of Lent in front of a great congregation who commented: the rite is the

same but the language is different. On Palm Sunday, Pope Nicholas celebrated

the rituals and the Holy Eucharistic liturgy and gave communion to Ramban

Bar Sauma first. After Easter, the Pope sent Bar Sauma back to Bagdad with

Holy Relics including that from the garment of Our Lord and poikile or bonnet

(silk head cover) of Marth Maryam. The Pope sent a golden crown of pure gold

adorned with precious stones for Patriarch Jaballaha III with vestments

including silk shoes embroidered with pearls for liturgical functions and a ring

from the Pope’s fingure. Pope Nicholas also gave letters of patent authorising

him as the Patriarch of all the Orient. Ramban Sauma was made Papal visitator

of all the Christians of the Orient.

There were further relations in the later years.

This shows that for the East Syriac Church, in every century, there were some

relations and communion with the Petrine See in Rome. This was not a juridical

communion but an ecclesial communion in faith, sacraments and love.

Local Particular Churches- Sister Churches

In the early Church, different Particular churches coexisted as sister churches.

The Western church has amply drawn from the treasury of these Eastern

churches for its liturgy spirituality and jurisprudence. The basic dogmas of the

Christian faith concerning the Trinity, and God’s word made flesh of the Virgin

Mary were defined in the councils held in the East 21 .

These sister churches were equal in dignity. In the early period of the Pentarchy,

it did not exclude the primacy of Rome, but the primacy was never exercised in

the same way among the four Patriarchs of the East as it was during the Latin

centralisation of the Middle Ages 22 . Professor Emmanuel Lanne, who was a

Professor of Saint Anselmo and Pontifical Oriental Institute Rome and was a

member of the secretariat for promoting Christian unity, Consultor of

Councilium for liturgy, Congregation for Eastern Churches, Commission for

Faith and order, member of the international commission for the theological

dialogue with the Orthodox churches and also that for the Reformed churches

comments, in the West, there were only one Apostolic Church, the Roman

Church while in the East, the Oriental Churches live the communion among

themselves as sister churches and not as mother and daughters in faith and love 23

Post Vatican Council II- Concept of One Church of Christ

After the Vatican Council II, the Roman Church recognised the importance of

the Eastern Churches. Various conciliar and post-conciliar documents exhort the

richness of the Eastern traditions and that they are invaluable treasures in the

catholic church as different expressions of faith.

Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, the president of the Vatican Secretariat for

Promoting Christian Unity in his speech at the National Workshop for Christian

Unity on May 5, 1987, in Atlanta said that the change of wording from the

Church of Christ is Catholic Church to the Church of Christ subsists in the

Catholic Church is fundamental to the ecclesiology of the Vatican Council II 24 .

Cardinal Willebrands explained Christ’s one Church goes beyond the visible

limits of the Catholic Church. These words are seen in Lumen Gentium No 8

and No 4 of the Decree of Ecumenism promulgated by Saint Pope Paul IV on

November 21, 1964.

The Catholic Church accepts that the one Church of Christ is seen even outside

Catholic Communion. Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic constitution of the Church

solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Saint Pope Paul IV acclaims many

elements of sanctification and truth can be found outside the visible structure of

the Catholic Church governed by the successor of Peter 25 .

Unitatis Redintegratio, the Decree on Ecumenism of the Vatican Council II

narrates: ‘Moreover, some and even very many of the significant elements and

endowments which together go to build up and give life to the Church itself, can

exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church: the written word of

God; the life of grace; faith, hope and charity, with the other interior gifts of the

Holy Spirit, and visible elements too. All of these, which come from Christ and

lead back to Christ, belong by right to the one Church of Christ’ 26 .

Universal Church- the mother Church; Roman Church a sister Church

Through an authoritative and binding note on 30 June 2000, Cardinal Joseph

Ratzinger clarified that sister churches are, exclusively particular churches

among themselves. But the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Universal Church is

not a sister Church but the mother of all the Particular Churches. Thus, the

Particular Church of Rome can also be called a sister Church of all other

Particular Churches 27 . This expresses that the Catholic Church is not the Roman

Church but the communion of all Particular Churches- Roman Church, other

Eastern Catholic Churches and even non-catholic Eastern Churches that have

preserved a valid episcopate and Eucharist 28 .

Unitatis Redintegratio also confirms that ‘the heritage handed down by the

Apostles was received with differences of form and manner so that from the

earliest times, of the Church, it was explained variously in different places

owing to diversities of genius and conditions of life 29 ’. This validates the

authenticity of different traditions and thereby the existance of different

Particular Churches.

Synodality

Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality in which, the Roman Church is seeking to

listen to others and to have communion, participation and mission with the

people of God. Pope Francis is asking the Church to go to the deepest roots of

her synodality, a venerable tradition of the Church. Thus, the Church intends to

walk together with other churches and communities to the common

eschatological vision of the Church. 

The One and only Church of Christ

The Church of our Lord Isho M’shiha is

one and only one which constitutes the communion of all the particular

Churches which represents different traditions which are different

interpretations of divine revelations. This communion ecclesiology is reflected

in the vision of heaven of Yohanna Sleeha where the almighty God is sitting on

the throne. Around this, 24 thrones on which 24 elders wearing white robes with

golden crowns on their heads. These 24 elders cast their crowns before the

throne of God singing ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and

honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and

were created’ 30 . These 24 elders before the throne of God are the heads of the 24

particular Churches in the Catholic communion. One of them represents the

Reesh Methrapolitha of the Syro Malabar Church in the Catholic communion.

End notes

1 Emmanuel Lanne, Inter ecclesial communion,according to the eastern point of view, in Xavier

Koodapuzha Ed., Oriental Churches theological dimensions, OIRSI, 1988 Kottayam p18-19

2 Marc Cardinal Ouellet, The Ecclesiology of Communion, 50 years after opening of Vatican Council II

Adoremus Sept 2012, Vol XVIII, No 6

3 Lumen Gentium, Dogmatic constitution on the Church solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope

Paul VI on November 21, 1964, No 4

4 J H Srawley The Epistles of saint Ignatius, London 1900, p 97 foot note 1

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/srawley/index.html online version accessed on 30 May 2024.

Saint Ignatius argued that Bishop is the centre of each individual Church and Jesus Christ is the centre of

Universal Church.

5 H B Swete, The Apostolic creed, its relation to primitive Christianity, 1894 p 75

6 J H Srawley The Epistles of saint Ignatius, London 1900, p 97 foot note 1

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/srawley/index.html online version accessed on 30 May 2024.

7 Thomas Koonamakkal, The Church in the Churches: A Syriac ecclesiology p86

8 Thomas Koonamakkal, opus cit p 89

9 Thomas Koonamakkal opus cit p 91

10 Rev Dr Placid Podipara, The church of Selucia and its Catholic Roman Communion in Rev Dr

Thomas Kalayil, Ed. Collected works of Rev Dr Placid J Podipara, Vil I p 109

11 Rev Dr Placid Podipara opus cit p 110

12 Alphons Mingana, The early Spread of Christianity in India, Bulletin of the John Ryland’s library,

Manchester vol 10, No 2 July 1926, p 460

13 W A Wigram, An introduction to the history of Assyrian church 1910,p 97)

14 Rev Dr Placid Podipara opus cit p 110

15 Rev Dr Placid Podipara opus cit p 112-113

16 Placid opsus cit p 113

17 Placid Podipara opus cit p 114

18 Placid Podipara opus cit p 114

19 Rev DR Placid Podipara, The church of Selucia and its Catholic Roman Communion in Rev Dr

Tghomas Kalayil, Ed. Collected works of Rev Dr Placid J Podipara, Vil I pp136-150

20 James A Montgomry, The history of Yaballaha III, Nestorian Patriarch and of his vicar Bar Sauma,

Columbia University Press, 1927, pp26-72

21 Unitatis Redintgratio, The decree on Ecumenism of the Vatican Council II given in Rome at Saint

Peter’s, 21 November 1964, no 14.

(https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-

ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html accessed on 08 June 2024)

22 Emmanuel Lanne, Inter ecclesial communion,according to the eastern point of view, in Xavier

Koodapuzha Ed., Oriental Churches theological dimensions, OIRSI, 1988 Kottayam, p 45

23 Emmanuel Lanne opus cit p 30

24 Johannes Cardinal Willebrands, https://docslib.org/doc/10152314/vatican-ii-s-ecclesiology-of-

communion accessed on 08 June 2024

25 Lumen Gentium, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Saint

Pope Paul IV, 21 November 1964, No 8

(https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-

ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html accessed on 08 June 2024)

26 Unitatis Redintegratio, opus cit. No 3

27 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of faith, a letter to the presidents

of the Conferences of Bishops, 30 June 2000, note no 8-12,

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000630_c

hiese-sorelle_en.html#_ftn2 accessed on 08 June 2024

28 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, opus cit no 12

29 Unitatis Redintegratio, opus cit. No 14 para 3

30 Revelations 4:4-8

Syro Malabar Major Archepiscopal assembly 2024: An appraisal

Guidelines for discussion in the Syro Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Assembly 2024

Dr Martin Thomas Antony

Syro Malabar Major Archi-episcopal assembly.

Syro Malabar Church is an oriental sui iuris Church in the East Syriac tradition. The fifth Major Archi episcopal assembly is going to be held in August 2024. The Major Archi episcopal assembly cannot be even considered as a shadow of the glorious Palliyogam of Syro Malabar Church(Syriac church of Malabar of Saint Thomas the Apostle). The palliyogam was the traditional governing body of the Church which had the authority in all temporal matters of the Church and community as a whole even judicial powers. The Bishops were spiritual leaders who were traditionally monks from ancient remote monasteries. The palliyogam consisted of the Desathupattakkar and laymen in different levels- Edvaka palliyogam,(parish level) desathu palliyogam (regional level)-at least 4 parishes and mahapalliyogam, the national level.

Today, the Syro Malabar Church lost its identity in the colonial or imperial system of Roman Catholic submission and the lay involvement is only as an advisory body.  Now, in this period of Synodality in the Catholic Church, the palliyogam with its ancient glory and powers is very relevant in the Syro Malabar Church.

Guidelines and evolution of working document (Linea menta and Instrumentum laboris

For facilitating discussion in the Major Archi episcopal assembly, a guideline or linea menta has been formulated by the Church for wider discussion to formulate a working document (Instrumentum laboris) for the Major Archi episcopal assembly.

Three themes are given in the guidelines for discussion in various levels to develop the working document for the assembly

They are.

1 Renewal of faith formation in Syro Malabar Church.

2 Strengthening the lay faithful for the effective proclamation of the Gospel

3 Empowering the Syro Malabar community.

As a whole, the mindset of this guideline does not show the face of Syro Malabar Church as an oriental sui iuris Church. It gives the perception that it is an offshoot of the Roman Catholic church which happened to have a different liturgy due to historical reasons. In reality, the Roman Church and Roman Pontiffs or the Catholic Church want the Syro Malabar Church to flourish in her own genuine traditions and liturgical and theological patrimony, its own discipline and culture as an invaluable treasure, upkeeping the precious fidelity to the sources of the mystery of salvation and as an intangible divine deposit which guarantees the continuity and authenticity throughout the time from the Apostolic period.

This vision is lacking in the guidelines. Any discussion about faith formation or catechesis, evangelisation or empowering the community without giving due importance to the genuine traditions and liturgical and theological patrimony is futile. 

It is very sad to see that this guideline uses several Latin terms while no Syriac terms except the word Qurbana which is a common loan word in Malayalam. Among the Church fathers quoted, none of them are of East Syriac tradition. In the Malayalam translation, the usage of  Yesu instead of Isho which is the common and most popular name of Jesus in Malayalam for even Catholics of Latin tradition. This linea menta is not a document from Roman Curia but from the Syro Malabar Major Archiepiscopal curia for discussion among its members only and not for discussion in Roman Curia. Therefore, such Latin terminology could have been avoided and English terms like guideline and working document could be used instead of  Linea menta and Instrumentum Laboris.

This shows the reality of Syro Malabar Church as a strongly Latinised church from top to bottom- from the Bishops’ synod, clergy and down to the common faithful. Fr E R Hambye, former Professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute at Rome wrote in 1987 giving a realistic picture of the Syro Malabar Church:

‘More than any other Eastern Churches in communion with Rome, the Syro Malabar Church had almost entirely lost its basic character as an Oriental reality. That loss affected not only the Liturgy but also the spirituality, theology and law. Its own people hardly knew that they were oriental. After having been told during so many centuries, that everything oriental was wrong, backward, unworthy of Catholics, one wonders how some clergy and laity could still hope for a restoration’ 

The clergy of Syro Malabar Church are trained in a strongly Latinised environment. When the Syro Malabar hierarchy was re-established, the more Latinised clergy were only promoted as Bishops thus created a strongly latinised ecclesiastical and hierarchical milieu. Therefore, no wonder many of the former Prelates considered Syro Malabar Church as an offshoot of Roman Catholic Church with a variant liturgy and some of them even tried to create a unified Catholic Church in India with a concept of Indianisation. They formulated prayers and songs common for the whole Catholic Church in India and tried to wipe out age old common Syriac terms in ecclesial life like Qurbana, Mammodeesa, Oppu rushma luthiniya etc and replaced them with new ecclesial terms like Divya Bali,  Jnanasnam, sthyrya lepanam, ladinj etc. Even in the translation of the Holy Bible, age old terms like Isho, M’shiha, sleeha etc are replaced with Yesu, Christhu, Apostholen etc. Famous theologian William Macomber wrote in 1977,

the Syro Malabar Hierarchy seems to be aiming at a modernised liturgy that will be open to Indianisation and ultimate unification with the local Latin liturgy once that too will have become Indianised. Their reforms therefore, taking the Malabarian  Mass on a course that emphatically diverges from tradition…. 

Now,  the Universal Catholic Church has recognised the importance of Eastern Churches and changed the policy from latinising them to preserving their genuine traditions. When the Syro Malabar Bishops requested Rome to approve the Syriac translation of the Latin Pontifical for the use of syro Malabar Church, Pope Pius XI in 1934 instructed to restore the ancient Chaldean Pontifical for the use of Syro Malabar Church and constituted a commission for restoration of Syro Malabar Liturgy to its genuine purity commenting, Latinisations are not to be encouraged among the Oriental Churches, The Holy See does not want to latinise them but to Catholicise them .

The Syro Malabar Church has to come out of this cocoon of latinised hybrid milieu in all her expressions namely liturgical, spiritual, ecclesial and even civil.

A. Faith formation.

1.Mystagogical catechesis.

Faith formation is an important duty of a Church. People of God need to be formed. The recent Apostolic letter from Pope Francis ‘Desiderio Desideravi underlines the importance of liturgical formation to have a deeper encounter with Christ. Pope Francis highlights mystagogical catechesis or formation for the liturgy and the resultant formation of the people of God through the Liturgy . Catechesis cannot be separated from liturgy as the former takes inspiration from the latter where the mystery of Christ is celebrated in actu . This is a need of the time in Syro Malabar Church especially with the so called liturgical dispute. 

Once the people of God received this catechesis, faith transmission would be easier. Liturgical formation of the people of God ensures formation of children in families especially with the family prayers, honouring the elders by giving them the kiss of peace and receiving the blessings in the families would prepare the mindset of children for the formal catechism lessons provided by the Church.

2.Current catechism text books and syllabus

The current Catechism text books do not reflect catechesis of an oriental sui iuris church. The syllabus needs serious revision to include lessons about the Syriac spirituality, Syriac church fathers, history of the Church etc. At present, even many of the trained clergy of Syro Malabar Church are illiterate about Mar Aphrahat, Mar Aprem Mar Narsai and other Syriac Fathers, they are very fluent to talk about Saint Augustine, Aquinas and Saint Francis of Assissi. This must change. We need to introduce the Church Fathers and saints of the Syriac tradition. Our current concept of Church Fathers and Saints are orientated to the Western Church. 

The illustrations in the catechism textbooks also do not reflect a church of Syriac tradition. Eastern icons should be introduced through the text books which would give  real visual impression and formation to children. Liturgical signs and symbols, architecture, liturgical objects, vestments etc should be part of catechesis. Recently Pope Francis explained about the altar veil that these are architectural or ritual elements that speak not of distance from God  but rather heighten the mystery of the condescention of the synkatabasis by which the Word came and continues to come to the world.  Such architectural and ritual elements are authentic representation of the genuine fidelity to the uniqueness of such traditions which are part of the fullness of revelation and part of expressions of faith in Catholic Church. 

3.Catechism of Syro Malabar Church in line with Catechism of Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Most of us use Catechism of the Catholic Church to refer to faith matters. This may risk misinterpreting what is given for Roman rite, the most numerous among Catholic Churches. Many Eastern Catholic Churches have their own Catechism of their particular Church based on Catechism of Catholic Church with appropriate modifications particular to their own Church sui iuris. Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is an example .  The Church should create a commission to formulate Catechism of Syro Malabar Church based on Catechism of Catholic Church adapted to Syro Malabar Church.

B. Strengthening the lay faithful for the effective proclamation of the Gospel

Proclamation of Gospel or evangelisation is the most important duty of the Church and faithful. That is the mission entrusted to all faithful by our Lord- Go into the whole World and proclaim the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15). Evangelisation is showing our Lord to other people. This can be by proclamation, preaching and by one’s words and deeds. Public proclamation and preaching are not easy, but such acts should not hurt others. We should not  character assassinate our fellow beings based on their faith. Lay faithful are called to live in their families and communities. They can show the M’shiha where ever they are through their words and deeds and behaviour. The Church should promote the lay faithful to live a life that is modelled in the M’shiha and excel in their community. Thus, they are showing the God to others, showing the love and mercy to others. Every faithful should become an alter christus. 

Preaching ministry should be based in the parishes. Our Lord founded the Church on the Apostles. Their descendants became Bishops in those congregations. Even in the Biblical period itself, deacons were consecrated. M’shiha did not intend the Church be a person orientated or an organisation orientated. His disciples and their disciples modelled the Church as intended by our Lord as they were the primary witnesses of our Lord. Tradition is very important here. The primitive church was based around a Bishop, priests as his vicars, Deacons and deaconesses. Communion of these churches or congregations constituted the Catholic Church. Evangelisation is based around these Churches. 

Celebrity preachers and their affiliation groups which run parallel to the Apostolic Churches was not the intention of our Lord. They often teach based on their whims and fancies and it is sad to see that the Apostolic Church leaders like Bishops who were selected by Him go around these groups. 

Such groups and organisations mentioned in the linea menta are generally not orientated as belonging to Syro Malabar Church as an oriental sui iuris Church. They often proclaim themselves as Catholic and follow the Roman rite and rituals, that too in a liberal sense. They generally promote a single rite and do not accept the reality of Catholic church as a communion of 24 sui iuris Churches. They consider the different Churches sui iuris are to be avoided to have a single Catholic Church. They do not understand that these 24 churches including Roman rite are equal in status, not any one superior to others and these are 24 expressions of faith. All these expressions together constitute the fullness of revelations and the Catholic Church.

The Syro Malabar Church need to take serious and immediate steps to control and transform these person or organisation oriented groups to be the main fold of the Church, her Eparchies and parishes. People of God should not be distracted from and separated from their Churches sui iuris. Instructions for applying  the Liturgical Prescriptions for the code of canons of the Eastern Churches, a legally binding  important document issued by the Holy See in 1996 is very clear in condemning  any attempts to distance the Eastern faithful from their Churches, whether in an explicit manner with its juridical consequences inducing them from one church sui iuris to another,  or in a less explicit manner, favouring them to acquire forms of thought, spirituality and devotions that are not coherent with their own ecclesial heritage .

It is very clear that the organisations and groups mentioned in the linea menta involved with lay movements for evangelisation are obviously inducing people of God in Syro Malabar Church to acquire the spirituality and piety and devotions of Roman Rite of Catholic Church and thus violating instructions No:10 and thus acting against the official teaching of catholic church. These organisations and movements need strict formation and control by the Catholic Church in Kerala.

C. Empowering the Syro Malabar Community.

1.Spiritual

a. Empowering the community by full restoration and liturgical maturation.

It is the right of all eastern faithful to have their liturgy and sacraments in their own rite and according to the prescriptions . Even though Syro Malabar Church has a status of sui iris Church in the Catholic communion, it is still a strongly latinised hybrid church. Empowerment of the Church and community needs rigorous formation of the faithful and the clergy to understand the identity and individuality and the importance of the unique liturgical traditions to enable liturgical maturation  and thereby the Church and the community restored to the genuine liturgical, theological and cultural traditions. 

Restoration of all rubrics and rites in liturgical and para liturgical and sacramental heritage is necessary for the spiritual empowerment of the laity. This involves restoration of liturgical architecture like bema, altar veil, incense, maksaneethsa, sacraments of initiation, communion of infants, leavened bread or Malka for liturgy and so on.

Permanent deaconate and other minor orders  should be restored to facilitate proper celebration of liturgy . Deaconesses should also be restored to empower  women religious in our Church.

 

2.Temporal.

a. Palliyogam and governance- synodality.

The governance of the Church should be according to the ancient tradition and practice by the paliyogam or synod. The primitive church of the Apostles and disciples were governed by the synods. Pope Francis’s synod on synodality is also an example of Catholic church moving away from the imperial or colonial system to a synodal system. Serious efforts to be made to restore the palliyogam with its executive and ecclesial powers. Our palliyogam had judicial powers also when the society was governed by the kings. Now, in this democratic society, judicial powers should be left with the society in general and its Government. But the temporal matters of the Church should be governed by the palliyogam. Spiritual matters should be left with the Bishops’ synod. There should be a role for the palliyogam in selection of Bishops and clergy also according to the ancient practice. The Priests were ordained only with the consent of the desathu palliyogam. Accordig to the tradition, whenever there was a need for a Bishop, the mahapalliyogam or the national palliyogam sends a delegation of clergy and laity to the remote monasteries to select an appropriate monk to become the Bishop. In principle, this traditional practice should be restored with a say for the laity as well in selection of Bishops. This is the practice among our Orthodox brethren in Kerala. There should be strict guidelines for selection of Bishop who is the moderator and director of all liturgical activities. As the sources and roots of Syro Malabar Church are in Syriac language, basic knowledge in Syriac language, knowledge and experience in celebrating the Holy Raza etc should me mandatory for a Bishopric candidate  apart from acceptability among the clergy and laity. According to the principles of Synodality in Catholic Church, the Church should listen to everyone to understand and discern the voice of Ruha D Khudsha.

b. Socio cultural

The Syro Malabar community had a very important place in the society which is lost now. This is due to lack of people in civil services, politics etc. Some of these issues are due to our own failure by not making use of our educational institutions where party politics was banned creating a generation of youngsters with political apathy and with no civic sense made our community alienated from the wider society. This is seen in every strata of the society now.   Most of our people lost their identity as a Syrian catholic community and with financial disability and lack of jobs started migrating. This issue should be addressed properly. Bishops synod or clergy alone cannot do this. Proper synodality and restored palliyogam with its ancient glory is essential for achieving this.

c. Counter witness by clergy and resultant apathy

In the recent past, scandalous activities among the clergy resulted in  counter witness in the society. Groupism and related accusations, stubbornness among the clergy, indiscipline and anarchy etc and sectarian rivalry among a section of clergy and resultant character assassination of even the hierarchy resulted in a lot of apathy among the faithful. Strong efforts should be taken to resolve the widening gap between clergy and laity and to ensure proper formation and strict discipline among the clergy and enhancing transparency. Once the community achieve a sense of identity by formation, controlling the groupism and anarchy among clergy, financial stability, restoration of socio cultural status, people start loving the Church and that would result in a boost of community sense. 

d. Issues peculiar to diaspora communities.

Syro Malabar diaspora are economic migrants who would want to assimilate in the society they are in. They are all well educated people who have become integrated in all the strata of society. Faith formation and faith transmission are very important as a Syro Malabar community but we should make all efforts to express our presence in the Society. We need to encourage our faithful to excel in their jobs and the roles in the society. We need to upbring our generation in all strata of life in the migrant country. Our Church and community should be seen prominently in the society by proper collaborative leadership and involvement in politics, social concerns, media etc. Efforts to encourage social services and charity activities should be taken seriously. Community building from a diaspora perspective

Community building from a diaspora perspective in Great Britain

In the last few decades, the Syro-Malabar faithful have migrated to Europe, the Americas and Australasia as economic migrants.  They are living in a foreign land with different cultures and languages. They struggle to integrate with the native community due to language and cultural barriers. They tend to unite as a separated sect distancing from the society they have migrated into. Therefore, community building in foreign lands should be taken very seriously and sensitively. This should not create a ghetto away from the wider society which seriously hamper the development of the community.

Currently, Syro Malabar diaspora communities are organised as Malayali Catholic communities to facilitate spiritual activities and worship in the Malayalam language. Therefore, creating a Syro Malabar community as a sui iuris particular Church can be difficult. 

Different Charismatic sects and their celebrity leaders had already created their affiliation groups even before the Syro Malabar Eparchy was erected. These affiliation groups consider the Syro Malabar Eparchy an intruder creating division among the Malayali Catholic groups. Different secular Malayali associations are involved with celebrating secular Malayali festivals like Onam, etc. There are social and charitable organisations to raise funds for their interested charities. In the middle of this competing socio cultural milieu, community building for Syro Malabar Church as a sui iuris community is challenging.

Sense of Identity 

To facilitate community building, the group needs to have an identity. Even though most of the Syro-Malabar faithful are Malayalies, the second generation would not be fluent in the Malayalam language and Malayalam culture. The younger generation brought up in the migrant country would not accept a Malayalam identity. If they are forced into a Malayali identity, that would lead to hyper ghettoization and not good for the progress of the community.

The only solution is the promotion of our east Syriac rite as the identity.  East Syriac identity is not dependent on any ethnicity or skin colour but on East Syriac spirituality. It is the identity based on the lifestyle of an East Syriac religio cultural heritage. In order to create an East Syriac religio- cultural heritage, the worship, sacraments sacramental and piety should be adopted in the language of the country.

Language

Migrants in a foreign land should adopt the language of the country to have a better integration into the  society.  The people should be able to communicate and integrate with the native community so that the members would be able to excel in their private and public life.

Syro Malabar Church is now a global church with  presence in all continents inhabited by humans.   Eparchies and ecclesiological structures are present in 4 out of 6 continents. The only exceptions are Africa and South America. Therefore, the church needs to move away from Malayalam as the language of worship. Common people even today call Malayalam Qurbana for the Eucharistic liturgy of the Syro Malabar Church due to their ignorance or influence of the ‘sects’ promoting the Malayalam language. 

Once English is established as the language of worship, the younger generation would become active in the church. The younger generation is the future of the community and they should not be ignored for the sake of the older generation. Currently, the official church is catering only the older generation and ignoring the younger generation which is a dangerous situation in terms of community development.

To facilitate worship in the English language, appropriate texts should be available. The Holy Synod of Syro Malabar Church has published only the Malayalam version of the Holy Qurbana and Liturgy of Hours but the English version is not available yet. This is a great ignorance from the Holy Synod towards the future of the Syro Malabar Community. (It is surprising that the text for the Eucharistic Liturgy of Syro Malabar Church in English language is going to be a translation from the Malayalam version rather than the source which is in East Syriac leading to a loss of the richness from translation from another translation. This should be corrected)

Social integration

The Diaspora community should be encouraged to integrate well within the society they have migrated into. This will facilitate progress into all strata of life in the society. The members of the Syro Malabar Community should be able to influence the new society through their faith formation and moral qualities. The younger generation should be actively encouraged into politics, media, civil services, etc., to show our strong presence in the society. 

Building a feeling of inclusiveness and a sense of ownership

The community should have a feeling of inclusiveness. They should consider the community as their own. The current milieu of Synodality of the Catholic Church integrated with the inherent synodal and congregational nature of the ancient Syro Malabar Church should be promoted to build a feeling of inclusiveness and a sense of ownership among the community members.

Social service

If the community is actively involved in social activities in the migrant society, members will have pride and confidence of their community and integrate into the wider society. The Church should promote more social service activities and charity services irrespective of caste, creed or ethnicity.  

Upbring the next generation in all strata of life in the migrant society

The younger generation should have leadership and moral training from the Church and promote them to excel in all strata of life in the society they have migrated to. If the church is not providing this, they get it from secular sources. This is seen in the young generation in the catechism classes who talk about liberation and freedom. 

Service to the community

Community-building activities should be promoted. Help and support for new migrants and students in terms of career guidance, guidance in integrating into the new community, social and financial information and social support.

Career guidance and leadership training for the younger generation should be provided. Encourage them in civil services, politics, media etc to show the presence of the Syro Malabar community in society.

Conclusion

In this period of Synodality in Catholic Church, it is important to have a synodal listening in our Church which is an inherently  Synodal Church. Sense of identity and individuality, a vision for restoring the liturgical traditions to its genuine authenticity, an ecclesial sense of unity and transparency are needed for any discussions and listening exercises. Let us pray that the Ruha d Khudsha help us to talk, listen and discern to achieve salvation of our’s and others through our special call by our Lord to be in the Syro Malabar Church.