Pope Francis has said that the liturgy, theology, spirituality and cultural heritage of the Syro-Malabar Church should be protected and members of the Church all over the world must take special care of their heritage.
The Pope was speaking to a delegation comprising major archbishop of the Church Raphael Thattil, other bishops, priests, religious and lay people in Rome on Monday, said an official communication from the Syro-Malabar Church headquarters here. This is the first visit of the major archbishop to Rome after he took charge of the Church in January this year.
The Pope expressed his desire to help the Syro-Malabar Church, which is steeped in its own heritage and has independent administrative powers. He told the major archbishop and bishops to face the challenges facing the Church imbibing courage from the Good News.
The Pope also mentioned his letters and messages regarding the Mass liturgy issue pending before the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.
Any disrespect to the Holy Mass was not in keeping with the tenets of the Catholic Church and all must work together and with determination to maintain the unity of the Church, he added.
The delegation from the Syro-Malabar Church met the Pope on Monday at the Pontiff’s office. Permanent synod members including Mathew Moolakkat, Andrews Thazhath, Joseph Perumthottam, Joseph Pamplani and Sebastian Vaniapurakkal were part of the delegation, said a press release from the Syro-Malabar Church.
