HH Patriarch Apfem II of Antioch raises a question, whether we, the Malankara Orthodox Church accepts him or not. Of course everyone in the Christian world, except for some of HH’s own bishops like Mor Ougin of Western US, accepts HH as the elected and installed Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch! Now, if the question is for his earning approval from Malankara as the Patriarch of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, there are two issues that need to be considered in this matter.

One, I have a question back to HH that what has HH been doing so far to earn such an acceptance or recognition? Nobody gets recognition, as a matter of fact, except for how he earns it. Just because of a reference in the constitution, (I shall revert to this later) there can be no recognition. No man would get the recognition as “father” Just because a he begets a child as the husband of a woman. He should be affectionate to the child, supportive to its needs and should caring always. This Patriarch is behaving just as the Patriarch of just one section of Malankara Church and hence can never be the Patriarch of a unified Church even if there is a judgement from the court of law (It is a fact that there is no such judgment until this date).

Two, HH should read clause 101 of the Constitution of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church accepted and made binding on all parish Churches in Malankara by Honorable Supreme Court of India. HH should understand that Malankara Church is obliged to recognize a Patriarch only if HH was installed with the co-operation and participation of Malankara Church. On the other hand, if HH takes the first clause of the constitution in alienation as applicable to HH, then HH should understand that it does not need to refer to a person, rather only to a position or office. Even if a Patriarch dies and there is a vacancy until a new one is elected and installed, the effect of this clause would be in force. Here, we are remembering not that individual, but the position or the office. In the first Diptych, we remember the Patriarch of Jerusalem Mar Gregorios in third position after the Patriarch of Antioch and the Catholicos of Malankara, though the office has been vacant for a long time. This position was created by the Holy Ecumenical Synod.

The present question from Patriarch will invite only two responses; One, His Holiness will find exhaled from the minds of the children of Malankara Orthodox Church. Two, the leadership of the “Society Church” will be able to say, “see, the Orthodox people are not replying to HH and not recognizing.” Thus, they can have one more individual, who are unable to understand matters in an intelligible way, added up to their community where there is nothing like spirituality and Christianity practiced .

Oh! Holy father, why do you belittle yourself by heeding to the senseless pieces of advice from the leadership of a gang of clergy who are working out strategies to see that there is a community around them to pay them for their luxurious life one way other. They are a lot just to make a fortune for themselves and secure their purchased positions without any sincerity and dedication to the office they hold also without transparency in financial matters.