KOCHI: Pope Leo XIV gave his approval to the Syro-Malabar Church Synod’s decision to redraw the boundaries of its 12 dioceses. The approval came during a meeting held between the Syro Malabar Church Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil and the Pope at the Vatican.
Mar Joseph Pamplany, secretary of the Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops, and Bishop Mar Stephen Chirappanath, the Major Archbishop’s Procurator in Rome, were also present with the Major Archbishop during the meeting.
During the hour-long meeting, the Major Archbishop expressed the Church’s heartfelt gratitude to the Pope for granting four new provinces to the Syro-Malabar Church outside Kerala, allowing an Apostolic Visitation in the Gulf region, and approving the Synod’s decision to reorganise the boundaries of twelve dioceses.
Mar Raphael Thattil informed the Pope that these decisions provide hope for the spiritual care of Syro-Malabar faithful globally and for the fulfillment of the Church’s missionary mission.
Highlighting the valuable contributions made by the Syro-Malabar Church at various levels of the Universal Church and in missionary activities, the Pope recalled his closeness to the Syro-Malabar Church and his previous visits to Kerala.
Alongside this, the Major Archbishop brought the current situation in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly to the attention of the Pope. The Pope emphasised the need for the faithful, priests, and religious of the Archeparchy to fully cooperate with the measures being taken to ensure communion.