KOCHI: Cardinal Mar George Alencherry completed 10 years of service as the Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church on Saturday. It was on May 14, 2011, that the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church elected him as the Major Archbishop when he was the bishop of Thucklay, after the passing away of Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil.
He took charge as the Major Archbishop on May 29, 2011, as the third Major Archbishop. The tenth anniversary of his assumption of office had no public celebrations. He offered Holy Mass at Mount St Thomas Chapel, Kakkanad. Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, the Curia bishop and priests of the Curia joined him in con-celebration.
With his assumption of office as the Major Archbishop, the Syro-Malabar Church began to experience a great renewal. New eparchies were created. With the establishment of the eparchies of Shamshabad and Hosur, Pope Francis has allowed the Syro-Malabar Church to engage in pastoral work over the whole of India.
The pastoral ministry of the Church was expanded on a wider scale with the establishment of the eparchies of Faridabad, Melbourne, Mississauga, Great Britain and the Apostolic Vicariate of Europe. Under his guidance, a new centre to coordinate the activities of the Church in Rome was made available.
As the Major Archbishop, he is the head of the Syro-Malabar Church consisting of 35 eparchies in and outside India, with a membership of 50 lakh people. As a Cardinal, he takes part in the conclave that elects the Pope. He is also a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, of the International Council for Catechesis and of the Pontifical Council for promoting Christian Unity.