New Syro-Malabar Catholic Primate Elected

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of Kerala has elected Bishop Mar George Alencherry of Thuckalay as the new Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly and primate of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Archbishop Mar George is the first primate to be elected since Pope John Paul II of Rome's grant of the equivalent of autocephaly to the church in 1992. The election has already been approved by Pope Benedict XVI. More here.

Ukrainian Catholic Primate on Relations with the Moscow Patriarchate

Archbishop Major Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has said that he hopes to put "phantom pains of the past" behind the Church in its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, saying that he believes that the wounds between the two churches can be healed "when [they] heal [their] memory with mutual forgiveness." More here.

Meeting of Belorussian Orthodox Local Synod

At the meeting of the Local Synod of the Belorussian Orthodox Church yesterday it was decided to glorify a saint who struggled against the Unia, Archimandrite Leontius (Karpovich) of Vilnius, and to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In addition to the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church in Belarus the meeting was also attended by high ranking officials of the Belorussian government. More here.

Syro-Malabar Catholic Primate Passes Away

Major Archbishop Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has passed away in Kochi, Kerala. More here.

Ukrainian Catholic Primate to Request Vatican Establishment of a Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchate

As he prepared to depart for Rome for his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI the newly enthroned primate of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Metropolitan Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of Kiev and Galicia, stated that he intended to ask that the Vatican elevate his church to the rank of a patriarchate. The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the largest of the Eastern Catholic Churches, but is not ranked as a patriarchate despite the claim of its last two primates to the title. More here.

Betwixt East and West?

Although clearly outside the Orthodox Church, the situation of the Eastern Catholic Churches is a truly unique one. Check this out on the rejection by the Melkite Catholic Church of the post-Great Schism 'ecumenical' councils of the Roman Catholic Church.

Italian Episcopal Conference Affirms Ban on Married Romanian Catholic Priests

The Italian Episcopal Conference has confirmed its support for a ban on the service of married Romanian Catholic priests in Italy, noting that outside of the heartlands of the Eastern Catholic Churches married clergy must receive a dispensation from the Pope of Rome to serve in other countries. More here. Hat tip to Orthocath for posting this!

Clerical Celibacy Theological Dogma?

It appears that the Vatican is moving to lay dogmatic foundations for the discipline of clerical celibacy in the Roman Church, which would have significant implications for the Eastern Catholic ghettos and their largely non-celibate clergy. More on that here. Hat tip to Ad Orientem for posting this!