Syriac Orthodox Catholicos Meets with Indian PM

The head of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church, Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Thoma I of the East, has met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an effort to enlist the Indian government's support in the settlement of property disputes between parishes of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India and the independent Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. More (in Arabic) here.

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch, Catholicos Meet in Germany

Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch has met with Catholicos Abun Mar Baselios Thomas I of the East in Germany to discuss the decisions of the recent session of the Local Synod of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church. More (in Arabic) here.

Malankara Orthodox Local Synod Meets

The Local Synod of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church has met under Catholicos Mar Baselios Thomas I of the East to discuss issues in the life of the Church in India and candidates for election to the Church's vacant dioceses in the country. More (in Arabic) here.

UAE Parish Becomes Cathedral

Over the weekend Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Thoma I of Kottayam and the East concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with other hierarchs of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church in the Church of St. George in Al Ain, UAE, which by a decree of Patriarch Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch was elevated to the rank of a cathedral. More (in Arabic) here.

UAE Church to Become Cathedral

On 13 May Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka (Iwas) of Antioch will elevate the parish of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church in al-Ain, UAE, the Church of St. George, to the rank of a cathedral. Catholicos Mar Baselios Thomas I of the East will participate in the celebratory services together with other metropolitans of the Syriac Orthodox Church. More here.

Syriac Orthodox Catholicos Leading Funeral of Metropolitan Mar Julius

The funeral of the newly reposed Metropolitan Kuriakose Mar Julius is being held today at Manjanikkara's Monastery of St. Ignatius. Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Thomas I of the East of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church will be leading the funeral services. More here.

Syriac Orthodox Catholicos in Damascus

Catholicos Aboon Mar Baselios Thomas I of the East of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church has begun a visit to the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus. More here.

Catholicos Mar Basil Thomas I to Inaguruate Nilackal Diocese

Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Thomas I of the independent Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will be celebrating the enthronement of Metropolitan Joshua Mar Nichodemus of Nilackal, who is the first metropolitan of the new Diocese of Nilackal, this coming April. More here.

Session of the Synod of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church

On Monday the twenty-member Local Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India met under the leadership of Catholicos Mor Baselios Thomas I of the East to discuss the life of the autonomous Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church under Antioch. Among other things the Local Synod approved the erection of the Metropolis of Mangalore and appealed to the Patriarchate of Antioch to consecrate new metropolitans for the Malankara Orthodox metropolises of Angamaly and "Outside Kerala." A full account of the Local Synod's session can be found here.