Kochi, Nov 11 (IANS) Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, supreme head of the Syrian Jacobite Church, on Wednesday expressed concern over the suffering of large sections of people in the Middle East due to extremist ideologies and said he was praying for peace in the region.
He has repeatedly voiced deep alarm over the humanitarian crisis, displacement, and persecution facing people in West Asia due to religious extremism and regional conflicts.
The Patriarch, who arrived from Lebanon in Kerala for a five-day visit, is the supreme spiritual head of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, who is based in Lebanon.
Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II arrived at Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery on Wednesday morning.
Church leaders and representatives of the Kerala government received him.
Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II’s visit is being held in connection with the 150th anniversary of the historic Mulanthuruthy Synod, a landmark event in the history of the Malankara Church.
A major programme of the celebrations will be held on November 13, when the Patriarch will lead the consecration of the Holy Myron which is the sacred anointing oil, at Puthencruz.
The ceremony is part of the anniversary observances and is expected to draw a large number of Church members and clergy.
A meeting of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Association will also be held at Puthencruz on the same evening, following the consecration. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will inaugurate the meeting.
The Patriarch is scheduled to attend several Church programmes during his stay in Kerala.
The Patriarch also called upon the rival factions of the Malankara Church in the state to make efforts towards reconciliation.
“Both sides should make efforts for reconciliation and peace,” he told reporters in Kochi.
The Patriarch’s appeal comes against the backdrop of a dispute between the Syrian Orthodox and Syrian Jacobite factions in Kerala.
The two sides have been locked in a bitter legal and administrative battle over the control of churches and other properties for several decades.
His appeal for reconciliation is significant as efforts to resolve the dispute between the two factions have repeatedly failed over the years, despite court interventions and attempts at dialogue.
After completing his engagements, the Patriarch will leave Kerala for Lebanon on November 16.
–IANS
sg/rad
