Our aim to sustain the Catholicity (Universality) of the Syriac Orthodox Church: Patriarch of Antioch and all the East

June 2014

His Holiness The Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Ephrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East said his main aim is to sustain and improve the Catholicity (Universality) of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch . His Holiness said that the enthronement service of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch, The ‘Order of Mor Cleemis’ ( St Clement) was divided into 26 parts and it was read in 13 languages. The Universal Syriac Orthodox Episcopal Holy Synod under the under the auspices of the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East has concluded on 30 May 2014 at the Patriarchate.

Steps will be taken to improve the already existing strong relationship of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East with church in Malankara (India) which is the integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. The Universal Syriac Orthodox Holy Synod will be convened every 4 years.

A six (6) member Committee under the president ship of the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East was constituted to look into the possibility of convening an Universal Syriac Orthodox Holy Synod in India ( Malankara) in the year 2016. The other members are His Beatitude Catholicose and Aboon Mor Basilious Thomas I, Syriac Orthodox Church Synod Secretary and Mount Lebanon diocesan Metropolitan Mor Theophilose George Saliba , Regional (India) Syriac Orthodox Church Synod Secretary and Kochi diocesan metropolitan Mor Gregorios Joseph , Metropolitan of High Range Region and Perumbavoor Region of Angamaly diocese and United Kingdom Mor Aphrem Mathews and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal secretary Metropolitan Mor Themotheous Matta Al Koury .

The next year is the 100th anniversary of genocide of the 100,000 Syriac Orthodox Christians of Turkey , which occurred in the year 1915. Programs related to this event will be organized in Europe , America, Middle East and India. The Universal Syriac Orthodox Episcopal Holy Synod was attended by Catholicose Aboon Mor Basilious Thomas I and the Syriac Orthodox Archbishops.

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