By our religious Correspondent
Kochi: The head of the Syro-Malabar church (SMC) Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil has been appointed by Pope Francis to a ten-member special Vatican committee on Eastern rite Churches.
“It is a major recognition to the Syro-Malabar Church”, head-quartered here, the official spokesperson for the SMC , Fr Antony Vadakkekara said. The appointment of Thattil was informed the church authorities here on Oct 23, he added.
Vadakkekara said that the special committee advises Pope Francis on forming policies on Eastern Churches. With 35 dioceses in India and abroad, Thattil represents the second-largest Eastern rite in communion with the Holy See (Pope) . SMC has a membership of over five million Catholics.”No doubt , the appointment shows Pope Francis’ special consideration towards the Church that is spread across the globe,” Fr Vadakkekara added.
Thattil’s presence will “effectively help” the Eastern rite Churches worldwide , Vadakkekara said. Before Thattil’s elevation to the head of the sui juris Church in January, Thattil had led the Shamshabad diocese in Northern India touted to be the largest diocese in India, spread over 22 Indian states.
The Church here expects that the appointment of Thatill to the ten-member special Vatican policy committee would pave the way for his elevation to cardinalship shortly. It was the customary practice that the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church here to be elevated to cardinal soon after his being elected as the head of the SMC.
Chances for Thattil to be elevated to cardinal , in the light of the decline of cardinalship by the Indonesian Bishop Syukur of Bogor, are brighter now, the Church sources on anonymity told this correspondent.
