KOCHI: “Cleanse oneself before trying to cleanse others,” Mar Raphael Thattil said on Thursday, after celebrating Holy Mass at the ceremony to anoint him the new major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Citing the Biblical parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son, he stressed that no one should feel lost.
“We need to cleanse ourselves and go out in search of those who have wandered. Priesthood signifies an abundance of love. We need to cleanse ourselves thoroughly and only then can we be able to help cleanse others,” he said. “When you and I are completely cleansed, then the lost will come and join us.” Exonerating Cardinal George Alencherry, Mar Thattil said his his predecessor had done no wrong.
The ceremony was attended by bishops who had arrived for the synod, Baselios Cleemis, major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Awgin Kuriakose, metropolitan of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East, and heads and members of various religious orders.
During the Holy Mass, Archbishop Joseph Pamplany delivered the Gospel message. “The new major archbishop’s name Raphael is derived from the Hebrew word meaning ‘God has healed’. Heaven has sent him, as a healer, to heal the wounds of the church. We now need such a person. I don’t know if the bishops had this in mind when they selected him to lead the church. But everything has fallen in place,” Mar Pamplany said.
“The disciples were divided and quarrelled among themselves feeling the absence of Christ. However, Jesus appeared in their midst and reassured them of his everlasting presence. This is the very message from the heavens as you [Mar Thattil] take up this huge responsibility,” Mar Pamplany said, adding that God will back all the decisions of the new major archbishop.
Comparing Cardinal Alencherry and Mar Thattil to Moses and Joshua, Mar Pamplany said, “Like Moses, George Alencherry led the church across the desert, through difficult times, and now the responsibility of crossing the Jordan, just as it was placed with Joshua, falls on Mar Thattil. And, you have the support of the entire church in this endeavour.”