KOCHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Ignatius Aphrem II, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and the supreme head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, at his official residence in New Delhi, in what is being seen as a significant step towards resolving the decades-long Malankara Church dispute.
During the meeting, Modi is learnt to have expressed the Centre’s willingness to facilitate an amicable settlement through dialogue rather than prolonged litigation.
The discussions ranged from global concerns such as religious intolerance and the persecution of minorities to the century-old conflict between the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church and the Malankara Orthodox faction. According to Church sources, the prime minister suggested the formation of a special committee to explore a negotiated solution to the dispute, which has remained mired in legal battles for over a century.
The initiative for greater engagement with the Centre is being led by Twenty20 president Sabu M Jacob, who has been actively reaching out to stakeholders across factions. He was present at the meeting along with senior Church representatives and political leaders. His efforts follow recent outreach to the Orthodox Church leadership as well.
“We had a great discussion on a wide range of issues,” Modi posted on X.
Speaking to TNIE after the meeting, Baselios Joseph, Catholicos of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, clarified that the visit was not politically motivated.
“The visit was not a planned one. The patriarch could not meet the prime minister during his official visit in December 2024 as approval came late. The prime minister had then assured that the meeting could happen at another time,” he said.
With Kerala’s political atmosphere heating up, Mor Baselios Joseph acknowledged that the meeting could be misconstrued but stressed that “nothing related to politics was discussed”. Instead, the patriarch sought the prime minister’s intervention in promoting global peace and safeguarding constitutional rights, particularly amid concerns over religious intolerance and attacks on minorities.
Ignatius Aphrem II also raised the issue of micro-minority rights, pointing out that Syrian Christians, though a minority within minorities, often do not receive the benefits extended to other recognised groups. The Church sought consideration for special provisions within the minority framework.