We Express Support for the Russian Orthodox Church in Everything : Primate of Malankara Orthodox Church

DECR – 20/09/2023

Moscow-Russia: The full version of the interview given by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews the Third of Malankara during his visit to Russia is as follows:

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, according to legend, it was founded by the disciple of Christ himself, the Apostle Thomas in 52. Its Primate, Baselios Marthoma Mathews the Third, recently visited Moscow and St. Petersburg . During the visit, he gave an exclusive interview to RIA Novosti , in which he spoke about his impressions of Russia and events in Ukraine, the life of Orthodox Christians in India, and the prospects for the development of communication with the Russian Orthodox Church.

– Your Holiness, before 2023 you were in Russia, when?

The last time I was in Russia was in 1977–1979. He studied at the Leningrad Theological Academy and visited Moscow. After 44 years, I again had the opportunity to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg. And I saw a lot of innovations.

– How, in your opinion, has the life of the Russian Orthodox Church changed during this time?

The current leadership of the country has given the Orthodox more freedom to practice their faith. I think people are happy to have this opportunity.

– How do you see the position of the Russian Church in the world, especially now, against the backdrop of events in Ukraine?

The Church strives for peacemaking activities. Any Orthodox believer strives for peace. How to achieve peace is the question. On the one hand, there is a desire for peace, on the other, we see what is happening in Ukraine when thousands of believers there are persecuted. We need to look for ways to resolve this conflict.

– How do the Malankara Church treat the Russian Church, and what is the value of our relationship?

Relations between our Churches were established in the 1950s–1960s; they are already more than 70 years old. The first contacts took place at the conference of the Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Delhi: among the representatives of the Russian Church there was Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Ladoga. After this, relations intensified, there were mutual visits of representatives and Primates of churches. Now our friendship is stronger than ever: we consider the Russian Orthodox Church to be sisterly. We value this friendship. The Malankara Church follows with great attention the successes of the Russian Church and sympathizes when it is in difficult conditions, sympathizes when it is criticized. We express our support for the Russian Church in everything.

– Do contacts between the two Churches help develop the monastic tradition?

We are familiar with the rich monastic tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church. During my two-year study in Leningrad, I had the opportunity to visit monasteries, including in Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia. I think that monasteries are the core of the life of Russian Orthodoxy. The Russian Orthodox Church moves forward through their prayer and activities in society.

In India, the Malankara Church also has monasteries, both male and female, but not as many as in the Russian one, because we are a small Church compared to the Russian one. I think that in the future we will organize an exchange of experience: Russian monastics will be able to visit our monasteries in India, live there for some time, and vice versa. Friendship between our Churches can bear fruit in monastic life.

– What restrictions prevent our priests from praying and serving together?

There are many points of contact where we can be united, many issues on which our positions coincide. But there are also certain obstacles to prayerful communication. They are more related to insufficient clarification and misunderstanding of certain points in canonical and theological issues. That is, it is more a problem of the language barrier, when people explain the same theological issues in different languages.

In the 50s of the 20th century, a round table was held, organized in India, when theologians of the Russian Church and the Malankara Church discussed the issue of possible prayerful and eucharistic unity (church unity or unity in eucharistic communion, that is, the opportunity to perform the Liturgy together and receive communion – ed. ). Experts then stated that, having studied the theology, triadology and Christology of the Malankara Church, they did not find any false teachings. But this issue was very bureaucratic for political and other reasons. I hope that in the near future it will be possible to resolve it and we will restore full communication and be able to serve and pray together.

– You mentioned many common points for the Russian and Malankara Churches, what are they?

We have a lot in common in serving the Divine Liturgy. Prayers, liturgical actions, vestments, and chants are slightly different. But we have the same understanding of the Eucharist, the doctrine of the Body and Blood of Christ. The theology about the Liturgy, the Eucharist is the same as in the Russian Church.

– Do the Malankara Church have metochions in Russia and the Russian Church in India? If not, are there any plans to open them?

A lot of students from India study at secular universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg. As parishioners, they are, unfortunately, not very organized. It is good that they can visit the churches of the Russian Church and come into contact with its liturgical tradition. Through the metochion, the liturgical tradition of the Malankara Church could be preserved and transmitted to believers who live in Russia. But you need to think about how advisable it is to build a farmstead in Russia. And we can resolve this issue only with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’.

At the same time, there are several parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in India. And we are happy about this, we are in contact and interaction with them.

– How many believers now consider themselves to be members of the Malankara Church – in India and other countries of the world?

The Malankara Church now has 2.5 million parishioners around the world. The number of parishioners is not growing so quickly. But at the same time there are people who are trying to join the Malankara Orthodox Church. We have people coming from English and Spanish speaking countries, including Europe and Latin America. Historically there were parishes in the UK, we recently opened in Paris. We hope for further growth in the number of parishes. We have some new parishes in Asia, for example, in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.

However, the original territory of our Church is India and, specifically, the state of Kerala, where the Apostle Thomas once founded it.

– How do the authorities in India treat the Malankara Church?

We have no problems with the Indian government. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi treats our Church favorably and even protects our believers to some extent. We have established cooperation with the authorities at the state level of Kerala (southwest coast of India – ed.). Our Church is recognized by the state as a traditional denomination of India, that is, we are protected by law. India is our home and we feel it.

– Does the Malankara Church interact with representatives of other religions in India?

As for representatives of other religions, we have fraternal coexistence, they respect us, and we respect them. Having become the Primate of the Malankara Church, I tried to visit representatives of all other religions in India. We are engaged in general charitable projects; they are aimed not only at believers of a certain denomination, but at all people, regardless of their religion or social status. We provide medical care, help find work, find a home, and help talented young people get an education, despite the fact that they have no money. That is, we have established social activities with the authorities and representatives of other religions.

Interviewed by Artem Budyonny

Source:

DECR