Pope Leo asks Syro-Malankara faithful in Europe to keep their traditions alive

Pope Leo XIV received participants in the first congress of the faithful of the Syro-Malankara Church residing in Europe in audience this Monday. During the meeting, held in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Pontiff highlighted the importance of preserving the spiritual and liturgical heritage of this Eastern Catholic Church and encouraged its faithful to remain united to their traditions and to their hierarchy.

The Syro-Malankara Church is one of the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. It has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of India linked to the preaching of the Apostle Saint Thomas and currently has several million faithful, mainly in the state of Kerala. In recent decades, emigration has favored the growth of Syro-Malankara communities in Europe, North America, and other regions of the world.

In his address, Leo XIV recalled the figure of the Venerable Mar Ivanios, promoter of the reunification of the Syro-Malankara Church with Rome in the twentieth century, highlighted the missionary vocation of this community, and insisted on the need to preserve its liturgical and spiritual traditions in the countries of the diaspora.

Your Beatitude, Excellencies, Dear priests, religious brothers and sisters, Dear brothers and sisters:

I am pleased to welcome this significant delegation of the Syro-Malankara Church on the occasion of the first congress of your clergy and faithful residing in Europe. Your Major Archbishop, Cardinal Baselios Mar Cleemis, turns 67 today. Happy Birthday, Your Beatitude! I also wish to express my congratulations and prayers on the occasion of your upcoming Silver Episcopal Jubilee, which you will celebrate in August and whose commemorations already began yesterday here in Rome with a special celebration. I also extend a particular greeting to Bishop Kuriakose Mar Osthathios, recently appointed Apostolic Visitor for the Syro-Malankara faithful residing in Europe, who has organized this congress.

Dear brothers and sisters, I understand that your entire sui iuris Church has undertaken an intense multi-year journey of spiritual renewal in preparation for its centenary. Now that we have just entered the ninety-fifth year since the establishment of your hierarchy through the apostolic constitution Christo Pastorum Principi of Pope Pius XI, promulgated on June 11, 1932, I wish to recall that text of my illustrious predecessor, which opens with thanksgiving to Christ, the Prince of Shepherds.

We too “render the most humble and fervent thanks” to God for the Venerable Mar Ivanios, who, together with Mar Theophilos, led several priests and a good number of the faithful, including religious brothers and sisters of the Bethany Congregations, to rediscover ecclesial communion with the successor of the Apostle Peter as an essential part of Christian life. The first Syro-Malankara Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum was truly a shepherd after the Heart of Jesus, through whom the Holy Spirit guided the flock of God.

He admirably embodied that “great desire for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes leaven for a reconciled world” of which I spoke during the solemn Mass inaugurating my pontificate.

Even as a young priest, Mar Ivanios looked far beyond the borders of his own Christian community in Kerala and clearly perceived the need to recover the dynamism of the good seed planted in India by the preaching and martyrdom of the Apostle Saint Thomas. He also insisted that missionary work should not be carried out only with words, but through a virtuous life and authentic service of charity.

For this reason, from its origins your Church has always been a beacon of evangelical energy and apostolic charity, bringing social justice, education, and integral human development to those on the margins of society. In this way the Gospel spreads, as my venerable predecessor Benedict XVI pointed out: by “attraction,” just as Christ “draws all to himself” through the power of his love, culminating in the sacrifice of the Cross.

The Syro-Malankara Church thus began to grow rapidly beyond ethnic and linguistic boundaries, initially in Tamil Nadu, as the fruit of an evangelizing effort dating back to 1934. These vigorous Syro-Malankara Catholic communities flourished thanks to the commitment of the hierarchy and also to the dedication of the religious sisters of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary.

I encourage the Synod of Bishops and the religious institutes of your Church to show the same commitment to the more recently created circumscriptions in India, especially the extensive eparchies of Saint Ephrem of Khadki and Saint John Chrysostom of Gurgaon.

At the same time, it is equally urgent to commit to the preservation and promotion of the inestimable treasures embodied by all the Eastern Churches, especially in the growing diasporas, as I had occasion to point out during your Jubilee, celebrated a few days after my election as Pope.

In this context, recognizing the presence of numerous Syro-Malankara faithful in North America, Pope Benedict XVI erected an Apostolic Exarchate for the Syro-Malankara faithful in the United States. Ten years later, upon elevating that Exarchate to the rank of Eparchy, my venerable predecessor Francis extended the pastoral care of the eparchial bishop to all Syro-Malankara faithful in Canada.

With a similar intention, already in the first year of my pontificate, I appointed the first permanent Apostolic Visitor for Syro-Malankara Catholics throughout Europe, Bishop Mar Osthathios. His responsibility is to assess the current state of pastoral care and to present proposals both to local bishops and to the Holy See for the spiritual good of the faithful.

In this regard, I have asked the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches to help me “define principles, norms, and guidelines by which Latin bishops can concretely support Eastern Catholics in the diaspora in their efforts to preserve their living traditions and, through their particular witness, enrich the communities in which they live.”

The same curial institution will also help me evaluate the best ways to establish solid and lasting foundations so that future generations of Syro-Malankara faithful may continue to deepen their friendship with the Lord Jesus through their own traditions, thereby benefiting the entire Catholic Church.

Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to promote greater knowledge of the precious identity of the Syro-Malankara Church and a deeper identification with it, actively participating in its ecclesial life and experiencing the richness of your particular heritage, aware of your great dignity and remaining united to the Major Archbishop and the Synod of Bishops.

Knowing that the Christians of Saint Thomas of India enjoy a well-deserved reputation for the solidity of their families and for the numerous priestly and religious vocations that arise from them, I pray that a strong faith may continue to flourish in your homes and in your hearts, especially in those of the young.

Invoking abundant graces from Almighty God upon all who participate in this joyful celebration, so that you may follow Christ each day with greater fidelity and become messengers of hope for all, I gladly impart the Apostolic Blessing.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, the Apostle Saint Thomas, and all your patron saints, especially the Venerable Mar Ivanios, intercede for you.

Like their sister church, the Syro-Malabar Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholics trace their ultimate roots back to St. Thomas the Apostle, who traditionally arrived in India in 52 AD.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. Based in Kerala, India, it is one of the fastest-growing and youngest Eastern Catholic Churches, possessing a fascinating, dramatic history.

The West Syrian Rite (specifically the Malankara Rite). Their primary eucharistic service is the ancient Liturgy of St. James, celebrated primarily in Malayalam (the language of Kerala), Syriac, and English

Approximately 500,000 faithful worldwide, with a rapidly growing diaspora, including a dedicated eparchy (diocese) serving the United States and Canada

The Syro-Malankara Mass is called the Holy Qurbana (meaning "Offering" or "Sacrifice"). It is highly mystical, intensely poetic, and visually distinct from a standard Latin Mass:

The Liturgical Language: While the Latin Rite historically used Latin and now uses modern local languages, the Holy Qurbana is sung primarily in Malayalam (the native language of Kerala), with the most sacred chants remaining in ancient Syriac/Aramaic.

The Sanctuary Curtain (Vail): Unlike Latin churches where the altar is completely open to the congregation, a Syro-Malankara sanctuary features a large, heavy curtain in front of the altar. This curtain is drawn shut and pulled open at specific dramatic moments during the liturgy to symbolize the hidden mystery of God’s presence and His revelation to mankind.

Ad Orientem (Facing East): In the modern Latin Rite, priests usually face the people (Versus Populum). In the Syro-Malankara Rite, the priest and the congregation always face East (Ad Orientem) toward the altar together, leading the people toward the coming Christ.

Leavened Bread & Intinction: The Latin Church uses flat, unleavened wheat hosts. The Syro-Malankara Church uses leavened bread baked fresh for the liturgy. Holy Communion is given via intinction—the priest dips the piece of consecrated bread directly into the chalice of Precious Blood and places it directly onto the communicant's tongue.

The Mar Thoma Cross: Instead of a traditional Western crucifix with a corpus (the body of Jesus), the altar features a Mar Thoma Cross (St. Thomas Cross). It is an ornate, multi-layered cross without a corpus, symbolizing the Resurrection rather than just the Crucifixion, often resting on a lotus flower to reflect Indian cultural heritage.

the Syro-Malankara Church preserves the ancient Eastern tradition of ordaining married men to the priesthood. (However, once a man is ordained, he cannot marry, and all bishops must be celibate monks).

Peterprinciple, we absolutely agree that Jesus tore the veil and gave us direct access to the Father. Because of that, we don’t just visit a temple—we actually consume His Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

That us to tye Eucharist as you clearly point out that the Eucharist us key to having a relationship with Christ.

“The curtain tearing at the Crucifixion means we now have direct, intimate access to God—which is a beautiful truth we both share.

But a ‘mystery’ isn’t a wall meant to keep us out; it’s an invitation to draw closer. Think of it like a married couple: they have total intimacy, yet their love remains a profound mystery that deepens over a lifetime.

When Eastern Catholics use ancient liturgical traditions to highlight God’s ‘hidden mystery,’ they aren’t rebuilding the temple curtain. They are expressing holy awe and reverence for a God who is close enough to live in our hearts, yet infinite enough to surpass our understanding.”

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