Oriental Orthodox

The Relation between Orthodox Churches

The Malankara Orthodox Church has always tried to cooperate with the communities which encircled her absorbing the imitable things from them. From the very inception, she also cooperated with the ecumenical movement formed to foster love and fellowship among the Christian Churches of the world. Malankara Church was one of the founder members of the World Council of Churches formed in 1948. There are many milestones in its long history which deserve special mention. The Church has conducted many dialogues and consultations consequently many agreements with the CSI, Marthoma Churches and Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Byzantine Orthodox Churches have been arrived at. Besides this, many prelates and ecclesiastical delegates from various Churches have visited Malankara and in turn His Holiness The Catholicos and official delegates have received their hospitalities as well.

The relation with the other Orthodox Churches has been galvanized by faithful dialogues and mutual visits. To strengthen our relations with the Oriental orthodox Churches we are partakers in dialogues and cooperative initiatives though all belong to the Orthodox family. Consequent on the unofficial consultations with the Byzantine Orthodox Churches in 1969, both these family of Churches have come closer and the dialogues have progressed to the official level. Things have come to a stage where both families acknowledge that there are no theological impediments for a union between them. The list of the prelates and the holy fathers from Oriental and Byzantine Orthodox Churches who visited Malankara is rather too long. The list includes the Armenian Orthodox Church heads Vazgen, Karekin, Aram, the Ethiopian Patriarch Abune Paulose, the Romanian Patriarchs Justinian, Theoktis, the Ecumenical PatriarchBartholomew, the Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church Pimen I, the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church .