THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is on an expansion mode with Pope Francis sanctioning a new Diocese in Delhi which will cover 22 north and eastern states and an Exarchate based in Khadki, Pune, which will cover six states excluding Kerala.
The Pope’s decree was read out simultaneously in the Vatican and at a special function held at the St Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, on Thursday. Bishop Jacob Mar Barnabas has been appointed bishop of the Delhi Diocese which will have its headquarters in Gurgaon. Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios will head the Khadki Exarchate, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and president, Catholic Bishops Council of India, said.
‘’With the formation of the Delhi Diocese and the Exarchate at Khadki, Pope Francis has given the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church jurisdiction all over India,’’ he said. The Church, formed in 1930 with five individuals, now has one Major Archdiocese, one Archdiocese, seven dioceses and two Exarchates. In Church hierarchy, an Exarchate falls below a Diocese, but for all practical purposes, would function as one.
The new diocese has 22 parishes and 16 educational institutions under it. The Exarchate has 27 parishes under it. The Delhi Diocese is named after St John Chrysostom and the Khadki one after St Ephrem. Following its formation by Mar Ivanios in 1930, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was elevated as an independent church under the Catholic umbrella in 2005 by John Paul II. In 2012, Benedict XVI had elevated the current Major
Archbishop of the church Baselios Cleemis as Cardinal. Bishops of the Church and the Latin Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram M Soosai Pakiam were present at the function in Thiruvananthapuram.
