KOCHI: The silver jubilee celebration of elevation of the Syro-Malabar Church as a ‘major archiepiscopal church’ was inaugurated on Friday.
Church head Mar George Cardinal Alencherry inaugurated the celebration at Mount St Thomas, Kakkanad, the headquarters of the Church. On the occasion, ‘Together Move Ahead,’ a pastoral document written by the Cardinal in connection with the jubilee, was released. Bishops, faithful and laymen representatives attended the function.
The papal document elevating the Syro-Malabar Church as a major archiepiscopal church was signed by Pope John Paul on December 16, 1992. On January 29, 1993, Cardinal Mar Antony Padiyara was elevated as the first major archbishop of the Church. The papal decision was intimated by the then apostolic pro-nuncio.
After the elevation, pastoral activities of the Syro-Malabar Church gained momentum across the world. Currently, the Church has around 50 lakh members spread in 32 dioceses (29 in India). There are 59 bishops, 4,065 diocese priests and 36,000 nuns under the Church. The Church also runs 5,048 educational institutions and 3,141 charity organisations.
Outside India, the major Syro-Malabar dioceses are the Chicago diocese in the US, Preston diocese in the UK and the Melbourne diocese in Australia.
The inaugural session was followed by announcement of the election of Fr Thomas Tharayil as the auxiliary bishop of the Changanassery Archdiocese.