Holy Father Pope Francis has sent a letter to Indian Bishops, urging for a fruitful and harmonious cooperation among the bishops of the three ritual churches of India, as they reach out to provide pastoral care to the respective faithful, spread out in various parts of the country. His Holiness urged the Latin and Eastern rite Bishops in India to continue peaceful cooperation among them and asked them to foster harmony, in order to avoid problematic conflict among the Christian community.
Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “In a world where large numbers of Christians are forced to migrate, overlapping jurisdictions have become customary and are increasingly effective tools for ensuring the pastoral care of the faithful while also ensuring full respect for their ecclesial traditions.”
His Holiness Pope Francis encouraged the Bishops to continue their respect towards Latin and Eastern churches in India. Kalyan Diocese can be said as a good example, that promotes “Unity in Diversity” of the Body of Christ. His Excellency Mar Thomas Elavanal has always stood in front to foster harmonious cooperation among the Latin and Eastern rite Bishops. His Holiness concluded his letter by reminding that the path of the Catholic Church in India cannot be that of isolation and separation, but rather of respect and cooperation.
