Orthodox Church leader to begin visit to Ireland

The head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will begin an Apostolic visit to Ireland today.

The visit by His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III is the first by a Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church’s Catholicos (Universal Bishop) to Ireland.

The Apostolic visit aims to foster ecumenical relations and unite Orthodox Christians from India who reside in Ireland, through worship and inter faith fellowship.

It’s expected that Ireland’s Indian Orthodox Christian population – many of whom work in sectors such as healthcare, public sector, hospitality, and information technology industry – will gather to celebrate the visit.

Tomorrow His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, will lead the celebration of the Holy Qurbana (Mass) at St. Patrick’s College Chapel.

An ecumenical worship service and lunch will be hosted at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday.

In a statement Fr Anish John of the Indian Orthodox Church in Ireland said the visit exemplified “the enduring bonds” between the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the migrant Indian Christian community.

“It signifies a moment of profound spiritual significance and cultural exchange, strengthening ties of faith and fraternity across continent”, he said.

The ancient faith of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church traces its origins to the Apostle Thomas who went to India in A.D. 52.

From the fourth century, the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with the Persian or East Syrian Church, inheriting the East Syrian language and liturgies. They gradually came to be known as Syrian Christians.

In the sixteenth century Roman Catholic missionaries went to Kerala in Southern India. Efforts to unite the Syrian Christians to the Roman Catholic Church led to a split in the community.

Those who accepted Roman Catholicism are Syro-Malabar Catholics.

Western Protestant missionaries also went to Kerala and worked among The Syrian Christians which also created divisions in the community.

The Church entered into a new phase of its history by the establishment of the Catholicate in 1912.

Today, the Church has over 2.5 million members, who are spread all over the world, though the majority reside in the state of Kerala in Southwest India.

A parish of the Malankara Orthodox Church was officially established in Dublin in 2006 by a small orthodox community from Kerala.

The parish began as a prayer group and later became a Congregation. There are now Indian Orthodox parishes nationwide.

It is an active member of the Dublin city interfaith forum, Dublin council of churches, Irish Council of churches and Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME).