Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kochi (Agenzia Fides) - With the election of Mar George Alencherry as new major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church in India an era of greater communion between the Catholic communities in India, a large ecumenical cooperation, of interfaith dialogue begins : As reported to Fides, these are, in fact, the paths the new major Archbishop intends to carry out . "This approach is especially important in Kerala (where the Syro-Malabar Church is rooted), was suited to unity in diversity, but also for the whole of India, " said Joseph Dias to Fides, the lay leader of the Catholic Secular Forum " a body that, with other Christian associations, has welcomed the election.
Mgr. Alencherry, 66, announced that "his priorities will be to build communion in the Catholic Church, together with other Christian Churches, to develop dialogue with other religions. " Communion, he said is "the way of effective evangelization in India, although currently his Church has jurisdiction restricted only to Kerala.
Theologians and observers note that Mgr. Alencherry, a man of dialogue, "is the right man for the Syro-Malabar Church. " For the first time the Eastern-rite communities that has its roots in the preaching of St. Thomas in India have directly elected their leader. In India, the Catholic Church has a community of three rites: Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-malankaree. Mgr. Alencherry succeeds Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, who died in April. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/05/2011)
