Pope had a special relationship with Syro-Malabar Church, says Major Archbishop
Archbishop Thattil told mediapersons here that the Pope entrusted the Syro-Malabar Church with the great responsibility for pastoral care. The Pope took note of the large number of immigrant Syro-Malabar Christians and supported the pastoral care extended to them by the Church in different parts of the world.
His special relationship with the approximately five million-strong Syro-Malabar Church is evident from his close involvement with the Church, especially after discontent over adoption of a common Mass liturgy broke out into the public sphere.
Unified Mass row
While the Pope kept abreast of the developments, his involvement was evident from his video message in early December 2023 in which he appealed to the priests, religious and the lay faithful in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese to sink differences, to obey the decision of the synod, and to build bridges and unity. He also warned as a father, of disciplinary action against disobedience, which would be resorted to with great pain. The Pope had appealed to the group in the archdiocese opposed to the synod decision for the unified Mass to adopt it by Christmas 2023 as one body of the Church. Act as one Church and not as a faction, the Pope had said.
The Pope recognised and repeatedly emphasised the unique heritage, tradition of faith and the great role of the Syro-Malabar Church in the body of the universal Church. His elevation of George Koovakkad, Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church, as Cardinal is a sign of the special status accorded to the Syro-Malabar Church. He was the first priest from India to have been raised to a Cardinal.
Senior priest Kuriakose Mundadan, who has stood firm in demanding that the synod Mass be rejected, said the Pope may have been misled on the affairs of the Syro-Malabar Church when he appealed for adoption of the synod Mass. He also said that Pope Francis did not exclude anybody but was inclusive in his approach.
'Solace to refugees'
Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, vicar of the major archbishop for the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, said that the Pope held fast to his view that the Church should be for the poor. He was a solace to millions of refugees all over the world.
Former Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry said that the world will remember Pope Francis as the Pope of Mercy. He never kept anybody away and mercy was the face of his mission as the head of the Church.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
New Jersey US attorney post: Alina Habba or Desiree Leigh Grace? Justice department clash with federal judges over lawyers in contention
Alina Habba (File photo) vs Desiree Leigh Grace (Image credit: LinkedIn) The New Jersey US attorney's office was in embroiled in confusion and chaos on Tuesday when top Justice Department officials contested federal judges' appointment of a new US attorney. The federal judges dismissed Alina Habba's request to maintain her position and exercised their unusual authority to select Desiree Leigh Grace, an experienced prosecutor whom Habba had previously appointed as her first assistant in March. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a social media statement supporting Habba, announcing that Grace "has just been removed." Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, criticised the judges' actions, suggesting collusion with New Jersey's Democratic senators. Grace received notification of her termination via email on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation, according to New York Times. This swift series of events could escalate into another full-blown clash between the Trump administration and federal judiciary. The judges' ruling, following a private vote on Monday, challenged Trump's emphasis on loyalty within the Justice Department. Despite Grace's potential appointment requiring adherence to Washington's Justice officials, Tuesday's response indicated resistance to leadership not directly chosen by the president. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb, a George W. Bush nominee, signed Grace's appointment order. After Grace's dismissal, Bumb's office stated "the court will have no comment." Who is Justice department backed Alina Habba? Grace's career in the Newark office began in 2016, progressing from acting chief of violent crimes in August 2020 to criminal division chief in March 2024. Habba, aged 41, served as one of President Trump's foremost legal allies, representing him in multiple high-profile civil and criminal cases. In 2023, she became counsel to Trump's Save America PAC and subsequently joined his inner circle as 'counsellor to the president.' Born in Summit, New Jersey, Habba graduated from Kent Place School in 2002. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Lehigh University and a law degree from Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Before working with Trump, she specialised in civil litigation and corporate law in private practice. Habba also clerked for Judge Eugene J Codey Jr. at the Civil Division of the Superior Court in Newark and was formerly the managing partner at Habba Madaio & Associates in Bedminster. A mother of three, Habba described herself at the Republican National Convention in July as a 'devout Catholic, a proud first-generation Arab American woman and a feisty Jersey girl.' Who is Federal Judges' choice Desiree Leigh Grace? Desiree Leigh Grace, known as 'Desi' to colleagues, is a seasoned federal prosecutor who joined the US attorney's office for the District of New Jersey in 2016. A graduate of the University of Maryland and Seton Hall Law School, Grace quickly rose through the ranks, leading the violent crimes unit in 2020 and later the criminal division, which she officially headed by March 2024, according to NYT. She has handled major cases involving gang violence and health care fraud and received a standing ovation at a 2024 alumni dinner, underscoring her respect within the legal community. Before joining the government, she clerked for top judges and worked at McCarter & English. In April 2025, Trump-appointed interim US attorney Alina Habba named Grace as her first assistant, a move widely supported within the office.
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- The Hindu
Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say
Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said Tuesday (July 22, 2025), as Israel pushed on with a new incursion in an area that had largely been spared heavy fighting during the 21-month war. The expansion of Israel's ground invasion comes as Israel and Hamas have been considering terms for a ceasefire for Gaza that would pause the fighting and free at least some hostages. The latest round of talks has dragged on for weeks with no signs of breakthrough, though negotiators have expressed optimism. With Israel expanding its control over large chunks of Gaza, an expected pullback of troops is a major point of contention in the talks. The Trump administration has been pushing Israel to wrap up the war and has shown signs of impatience. On Monday, President Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Trump was 'caught off guard' by a recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza. Top Christian clergy visited that church last week and in a press conference Tuesday in Jerusalem called for the war to end. At least 20 killed in Israeli strikes, health officials say One strike hit tents sheltering displaced people in the built-up, seaside Shati refugee camp on the western side of Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to the city's Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The Israeli military said it was not aware of such a strike by its forces. The dead included three women and three children, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of the hospital told The Associated Press. Thirty-eight other Palestinians were wounded, he said. The strike tore apart tents, and left some of the dead laying on the ground, according to footage shared by the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service. An overnight strike that hit crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City killed eight, hospitals said. At least 118 were wounded, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Ahmed Mhana, who said he was waiting on a coastal road for aid trucks, said the crowd was struck twice by Israeli aircraft. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the Gaza City strike. Israel blames the deaths of Palestinian civilians on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. It accuses the group of prolonging the war because Hamas has not accepted Israel's terms for a ceasefire — including calls to give up power and disarm. Heavy explosions heard in area that avoided major fighting In Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, which previously has not seen major ground operations or widespread devastation, Palestinians reported heavy explosions from strikes and tank shelling overnight. 'It was non-stop,' Ayman Aby Hassan said. 'We felt that the area was shaking, as if there was an earthquake.' The man, who is in his 40s, fled an area in the southwestern side of Deir al-Balah that was invaded by the military earlier this week. He headed to the Muwasi area near the sea. The Israeli military ordered evacuations from parts of the city earlier this week. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Church leaders witnessed an almost totally destroyed' Gaza In Jerusalem, top church leaders called on the international community to help bring an end to the war in Gaza after making a rare visit to the conflict-ridden territory last week. Their visit came a day after Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli shell in an attack that killed three people and wounded 10, including a priest who had developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis. The strike drew condemnation from Pope Leo XIV and Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel, which said it was an accident. 'It is time to end this nonsense, end the war,' Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told reporters. Israel has heavily restricted access to Gaza since the start of the war, though church leaders have entered on previous occasions, usually to mark major holidays. Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III said they witnessed a Gaza that was 'almost totally destroyed.' They said they saw older people, women and boys 'totally starved and hungry' and called for urgent humanitarian aid. "Every hour without food, water, medicine, and shelter causes deep harm," Pizzaballa said. 'It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.' Israel has greatly reduced the amount of aid being let into Gaza and aid that does enter is often met by chaos and violence at distribution points. On Tuesday, the UN said more than 1,000 people have been killed seeking aid in Gaza since Israel redesigned the distribution of goods for Palestinians. Accusing Israel of the killings, the UN said more than 750 had died 'in the vicinity' of aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and US-backed group. GHF mostly denies that violence occurs at its sites.
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Unarmed man shot by Israeli sniper while livestreaming at Gaza port
In a shocking moment that was captured live on social media, a young man was allegedly shot by an Israeli sniper while live-streaming in the Gaza port. The video of the attack went viral on social media and ignited global outrage amid calls for an immediate end to the Middle East war. The incident reportedly occurred during a lull in active shelling at the Gaza port.(Representational Image: Reuters) A man (whose face is not shown) is seen walking and recording the port when he is struck by a bullet and seems to go down on the ground as a result of the injury. The camera continues rolling as the blood trickles out from the body of the man, and nearby locals rush to his aid. The incident reportedly occurred during a lull in active shelling at the Gaza port, which in the video appeared relatively calm before the shot was fired. Also Read | Donald Trump caught 'off guard' by Israel's actions in Gaza, Syria; called on Netanyahu to 'rectify' From the video, the man seemed unarmed and not posing any danger when he was targeted. However, HT was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of this viral video. Though the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the identity of the victim remain unknown, the incident rekindled the concerns regarding the targeting of civilians, and more so, journalists and content creators, in conflict areas. Israel-Hamas war At the same time, at least 20 individuals were murdered in Gaza in what Palestinian health officials called Israeli attacks on Tuesday. This is as Israel continued with a fresh incursion in an area that had previously mostly been exempt from intense combat during the 21-month war. The widening of Israel's ground offensive comes as Israel and Hamas have been negotiating conditions for a Gaza ceasefire that would temporarily stop the fighting and release at least some hostages. Also Read | Why Israel's Chaotic New Food Program in Gaza Has Turned So Deadly The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which eventually engulfed the entire Gaza Strip, resumed after militants who follow Hamas abducted 251 individuals on October 7, 2023. Less than half of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are thought to be alive. Also Read | Israeli PM Netanyahu falls ill with food poisoning, to work from home for three days In the meantime, the Trump administration has been urging Israel to conclude the war and has demonstrated signs of restlessness. On Monday, President Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump was "caught off guard" by an Israeli recent attack on a Catholic church in Gaza.
