Kottayam June 20 2005:
Holy Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Church began at
Old Seminary Sophia Center, Kottayam on Monday. June 20 at 10am.
The Holy Synod started its sessions with a retreat led by Fr.
Dr. K. M. George, the Principal of Orthodox Theological
Seminary. The sessions of the Holy Synod will conclude on 24
Friday. Managing committee of the Church, will meet on Thursday
June 23 to make proposals to the Holy synod to be considered in
its concluding session.
Issues on Faith, Order and Discipline come under the purview of
the Holy Synod, which is considered to be the extension of the
Synods of the apostolic college. The Catholicos who is the
spiritual leader of the Church is the president of the Holy
Synod. The temporal authority is with the Metropolitan of the
Malankara, who is also the President of the 'Malankara
Association, ' the Parliament of the Church. After the demise of
Dionysius of Vattasseril, the offices of the Metropolitan of
Malankara and the Catholicos were brought together into one
person to for more cohesiveness between the temporal and
spiritual aspects of those positions. The present Catholicos Mar
Thoma Baselius Mathews II holds both these offices.
Many issues are on the
desk of the Holy Synod to consider in this session. On Monday
afternoon the Holy Synod deliberated on appointing the recently
ordained metropolitans various dioceses. This discussion was
conducted in the absence of these bishops. The decision will be
forwarded to the Managing Committee for their information. The
suggestions of the Managing committee will be discussed once
again in the Holy synod and finalized. After these meetings, the
Catholicos will announce the decisions and to implement them.
It was reported that Mar Osthathios of Niranam and Mar
Philoxenos of Delhi raised some doubts on the functions of the
Managing Committee particularly on deciding certain issues, by
submitting letters to the Catholicos, the president of the
Synod. These letters may become topics of discussion in this
session of the Holy Synod, according to an observer at the Holy
Synod. The Holy synod is meeting the first time after the
defection of Bishop Abraham Severios to the Jacobite Church.
The stand of the Church on issues regarding Kadamattom,
Kolenchery and Aluva Churches will also be topic for discussion
in these sessions.
Metropolitan Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios of Canada-Europe and Asst
Metropolitan Mar Nicholovos of America are currently attending
the Holy Synod. Thomas Mar Athanasios of Chengannur is the
secretary of the Holy Synod. The faithful of the Church are
eagerly looking forward to a mandate issued by the Catholicos on
these decisions.
(Indian Orthodox Herald News Release, June
20, 2005)
