ALUVA: Christian churches are the doorways to peace, said Patriarch of Antioch, supreme head of the Syrian Orthodox Church, Ignatius Aphrem-II.
Speaking after inaugurating the 40th annual celebrations at the Thuruthissery Valiyapalli at Nedumbassery on Monday, the Partriarch said, “ a real Christian is a person who is able to love all human beings equally without any discrimination based on caste, creed or religion. Peace will reign only in a society that understands the love of God,” he said.
The Patriarch was accorded a grand reception at the Thuruthissery Church.
Bishops Geevarghese Mar Athanasius, Mathews Mar Ivanios, Mathews Mor Anthimos, Kuriakose Mar Theophilos, Cor Episcopa Geevarghese Areekkal and Titus Varghese; UDF convener P P Thankachan; and MLAs S Sharma, V P Sajeendran, T U Kuruvila, Saju Paul and Anwar Sadath, among others, spoke on the occasion.
‘anyone can criticise me’
Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem-II said that anyone has the freedom to criticise him. He was responding to a question on the statement by Malankara Orthodox Church head Catholicos Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose-II. The Catholicos had criticised Patriarch for visiting the churches under dispute.The Patriarch was on a visit to the Mor Sabor Mor Aphroth Syrian Church, Akaparamb, near Nedumbassery. “Anybody has the freedom to criticise me. The faithful in Kerala know me. I have always stood for the unity of the Malankara churches. I hope it would become a reality soon,” he said. The patriarch further stated that the news of the beheading of 21 Christians by the ISIS shocked him. “Nations should join hands against the atrocities of the ISIS,” the Patriarch added.