KOCHI: As the Jacobite Syrian Church prepares for the consecration of the Holy Mooron, also known as Chrism, after 22 years, Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Joseph speaks to TNIE about the significance of the sacred ritual and what the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the first consecration in the state and the historic Synod of Mulanthuruthy means for the denomination.
How significant is the consecration of Holy Mooron for the Church?
According to the canonical jurisprudence of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the consecration and distribution of Holy Mooron, required by the universal church, is a prerogative and solemn responsibility vested in the Patriarch of Antioch.
The Malankara Church is an integral constituent of the universal church, and the patriarch recognises his apostolic obligation to provide the Holy Mooron for its spiritual needs, orchestrating its dispensation from the Holy Apostolic See.
This act serves as a visible paradigm and symbol of the profound ecclesiastical bond between the universal church and the Malankara Church. The participation of over sixty metropolitans from the universal church, alongside esteemed hierarchs representing sister oriental Orthodox churches imparts a profound global significance to this event.
The Church is also marking the 150th year of the first Holy Mooron consecration in Keralam and the Synod of Mulanthuruthy. This is happening at a juncture when the dispute between the Jacobite and Orthodox factions is yet to be resolved. How do you see the future playing out?
Prioritising the sacramental and spiritual dimensions of the Church remains my primary duty and solemn responsibility as the local hierarch. Consequently, the consecration of the Holy Mooron constitutes a paramount obligation inherent in the high priestly ministry entrusted to me -- a duty from which the ongoing crises within the Malankara Church cannot absolve me.
Within the historical tradition of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Synod of Mulanthuruthy laid the foundational infrastructure for the administrative, doctrinal, and liturgical frameworks utilised by all contemporary churches in Malankara belonging to the Syrian Orthodox tradition. It is my profound desire that the sesquicentennial anniversary of the historic synod catalyses total ecclesiastical reconciliation.
Why is the Catholicos not the main celebrant of the Holy Mooron consecration?
According to the canonical laws of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the consecration of the Holy Mooron is a distinctive prerogative and a solemn responsibility uniquely vested in the patriarch. Within the historical trajectory of the church, Catholicoi have only consecrated the Holy Mooron in the absolute absence of the patriarch. When the patriarch, as the supreme head of the universal church, leads this sacred sacramental rite, it fundamentally underscores the global unity, cohesion, and corporate solidarity of the ecclesial body.
The Orthodox faction has been using this and many other reasons to justify their decision to go independent. Do you think it is justifiable?
While remaining an integral constituent of the universal church, the Malankara Church preserves its own distinct cultural heritage and unique ecclesial identity -- a reality explicitly recognised and affirmed by the Holy Apostolic See. The Synod of Mulanthuruthy envisioned the Malankara Church as an autonomous entity possessing internal administrative freedom, a canonical status duly ratified by Patriarch Peter III. To this day, the Church continues to exercise and enjoy this very autonomy. Indeed, the synod conceptualised the Malankara Church as an equal partner within the framework of the Apostolic See. Consequently, conflating this sacred sacramental act with a compromise on ecclesiastical autonomy is fundamentally untenable and naive.
