MUSCAT: His Holiness Baselious Marthoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, concluded a 10-day visit to the Sultanate of Oman during which His Holiness was the chief celebrant for the Holy Week programme at the Muscat Mar Gregorios Maha Edavaka.
For the first time in the 43-year history of the Maha Edavaka, a Catholicos led the Passion Week services.
In a parting message to the faithful during the Holy Eucharist at the Holy Easter service, His Holiness who spoke his mind out said during several instances he was pained when children of Malankara Orthodox Syrian community move over to other faiths. “I am pained and extremely shamed when our children go astray. I am disappointed as the Supreme Head. If this is the case, Malankara Orthodox will under threat and it will be a different scene in about 50 years…”
His Holiness cited several instances from his own personal experiences to relate this. Even during his visit here, a family who is known to HH visited him and exchanged pleasantries and posed for photographs. The very same family moved over to Pentecostal church when life became a hard reality.
The Supreme head of the Malankara Church hailed the Muscat Maha Edavaka who has stood as a ‘beacon of hope’ at all times and hoped that it would be continue to do so in future and extended his wishes for the future.
The Catholicos rushed to Kerala immediately after the Easter service where His Holiness will lead the Dukrono of St Kuriakose Mar Gregorios at Pampady Dayara on Sunday. His Holiness emplaned for Kerala by the 1 am Oman Air flight from Muscat International Airport and was seen off by executive committee members of the Maha Edavaka.
The Catholicos was accompanied by Dn Santhosh Babu, Secretary to His Holiness, during the visit.
