Vatican City, May 28, 2007 / 08:41 am
This morning in the Vatican, the Pope received His Beatitude Issac Cleemis Thottunkal, major archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankars, India. According to tradition, the Syro-Malankar Church is able to trace its founding back to St. Thomas the apostle who evangelized India.
A synod of the Indian bishops recently selected Issac Cleemis Thottunkal as the head of the Syro-Malankaran church and at his meeting with him Benedict approved of this decision. "As Peter's Successor, I happily confirmed the Synod's decision." Thottunkal was chosen for his current office by the Synod of the Syro-Malankar Church on February 8.
The Pope emphasized how as head of the church his Beatitude must pursue a two-fold path of faithfulness that will continue to enrich the Church.
“On the one hand, through faithfulness to the Apostolic See you will always participate fully in the universal breath of the one Church of Christ; on the other hand your fidelity to the specifically Eastern features of your tradition will enable the whole Church to benefit from what in His manifold wisdom the Spirit is saying to the Churches'."