Reply of Antiochene Catholic Patriarch Ephrem II Rahmani to Fr Jacob Kalapurackal, Secretary of Mar Ivanios

Beirut, 12 October 1926:

The Patriarch expresses his great joy over the desire of the Indian Syrian Orthodox bishops, clergy, and faithful to join the holy universal Catholic Church headed by the Pope of Rome by union with the Syrian Catholic Church. The Patriarch also reveals that the Catholic Syrian Church is following the early Antiochene order of worship, which will not be modified (English translation in T. Inchakkalody, Archbishop Mar Ivanios, vol. 1, Trivandrum 2015, 241-244; original is in West Syriac).

Apostolic greetings and peace of God to our dear and affectionate son Father Jacob, who is the secretary to Geevarghese Ivanios, bishop of Bethany.

Dearly beloved in the Lord!

I read with great joy and delight the letter of good news sent on 17 July last year (1925), and the article sent joyfully to our secretary. I have fully understood its contents. I sincerely pray that God showers his blessings on you and on the people of the dioceses of Malabar. I specially pray for God's grace on all of you so that you may live in faith enjoying the peace of God and protected from all deceit and evil, enriched by your good deeds.

I praise and thank God, for his great mercy, which has brought in your hearts the spiritual reawakening of harmony and unity. I am a bit late in replying to your letter, as I was away on a tour of the Western countries. I only returned to my See in Beirut this month.

The fact that the holy bishops, priests, and the Syrians of India have expressed their intense desire to join the Universal Holy Catholic Church with the Pope of Rome as the chief head gives me great joy, and I convey my happiness to you. I hope and pray that all is well with our dear brethren, the honoured Mar Baselios Geevarghese Catholicos, Bishop Geevarghese Divannasios of Malankara, and Mar Ivanios Geevarghese Episcopo of Bethany.

Along with the Psalmist, David and the Holy fathers let me exult: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”

We have been very carefully following the early Order of Worship of the Syrian Antiochian Church. The rituals in it have been kept like the apple of our eye. We will not allow or agree to even the minutest addition or deletion from it. Either in the East or the West, there does not exist a better Order of Worship than ours. The Syriac language was used by our Lord the Messiah and the glorious Apostles and has been in use ever since. I will neither agree to any change in the rites of our Church as has been done and followed by the Chaldeans of Malabar nor change it in accordance with the western rites of the Latin Church. I have published the books you follow, and you would have understood how carefully I have done it. You will have understood the problems we had in protecting the earlier rites while publishing the order of service for the Holy Qurbono, funeral, ordination, etc.

Let me manifest my love for you by proclaiming that when you become united with us, you will have priests, ashramites, and spiritual leaders from amongst you to lead you.

Let me make a clarification regarding your concern that you will lose your churches and ashrams on reuniting with us. Once you get reunited with us along with bishops, priests, and blessed brethren, we will use our persuasive powers with the Pope to persuade the authorities in London so that you can retain your churches and ashrams. We will earnestly pray for your reunion and for the welfare of your priests and for your seminarians. In the name of our living Almighty God, I assure you, as the Lord has proclaimed, they will become the light of the world and the salt of the Earth. Therefore let them be informed in the truths so that they can instruct others the ways of God. They have the responsibility to be the image of our Lord Jesus to the people of their parishes so that they can be good examples and manifestations of God on earth.

I pray God Almighty to bless you and your dioceses and keep you under the wings of His care so that you will prosper and be delivered from all evils enabling you to keep all the commandments of the Church.

Submitting to His abundant glory, I believe that all the Syrian Christians in India who are believers will be united in His name. I look forward to a reply for this letter.

Abide in the Lord in all safety,

Patriarch Rahmani.