Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios acclaims draft of new canon law for oriental churches

The Canon Law for Oriental Churches now awaiting papal approval will give greater autonomy to member Churches, claims Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios of the Syro-Malankara archdiocese of Trivandrum.

In a message aired Nov. 19 by Vatican Radio, the Oriental prelate, president of the Catholic Bishops´ Conference of India, told listeners that the new code would help preserve the traditions of “Thomas Christians” of south India.

He was speaking in Rome at the end of a 12-day meeting of the Pontifical Commission for the revision of Oriental Canon Law, which was finalizing the draft code before presentation for papal approval and promulgation.

Archbishop Gregorios said the new code had been drafted by 32 patriarchs from 17 Oriental Churches and cardinals from the Vatican Curia, and that paves the way for greater autonomy and full growth of the Churches.

At a special audience with the pope, commission members drew his attention to the problems of the Oriental Churches, particularly on the jurisdiction over their people living in dioceses exclusively assigned to the Latin rite.

They stressed the right of such Christians to preserve their heritage and to lead a spiritual life of their own.

Cardinal Antony Padiyara of Ernakulam, Bishop Kuriakose Kunnassery of Kottayam and Archbishop Gregorios represented the three Oriental traditions from India at the commission meeting.

All three traditions — Syro Malabar, Syro Malabar purists and Syro Malankara — exist in India´s southern state of Kerala.

While Syro Malabar and Syro Malankara followers claim their Christian faith dates back to Saint Thomas the Apostle, the purists, also known as Suddists, are believed to be descendents of a group of merchants led by one Thomas Knana from Syria, who settled in Kerala in the fourth century.

The need for a special code of Canon Law for the Oriental Churches has been expressed since the time of Vatican Council I (1869-70).

In 1935, Pope Pius XI set up a Pontifical Commission for the Redaction of the Code of Oriental Canon Law, and Pope Pius XII promulgated the fourth part of that code in 1957.

Acting on a Vatican Council II directive, Pope Paul VI constituted the present pontifical commission in 1972 to revise and complete the code.

The final draft took 16 years to complete.