The Holy Father receives the Synod of the Mar Thoma Church

On Monday 11 November, Pope Francis received in private audience the members of the Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. This was the first visit to Rome by the Synod of this Church.

In his speech, His Grace Joseph Mar Barnabas, Suffragan Metropolitan, recalled the participation as an observer at the Second Vatican Council of Bishop Philipose Mar Chrysostom, future Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, and welcomed the recent launch of a theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Mar Thoma Church. Suffragan  Metropolitan Mar Barnabas also conveyed to the Holy Father a letter from His Beatitude Dr Theodosius Mar Thomas XXII, Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church

In his response, the Holy Father highlighted two perspectives for this theological dialogue: synodality and mission. Referring to the recent Synod on Synodality, he expressed the hope that forms of ‘ecumenical synodality’ could develop, in particular an ‘ecumenical synod on evangelisation’.

On the same day, the delegation of the Mar Thoma Church visited the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

A theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church began on 14 December 2023 in Kerala.

^{Photos © Vatican Media}