Prelates from Kerala to attend Vatican Synod

 The Kerala Church will have a prominent say in the deliberations at the thirteenth international Synod of the Catholic bishops which will be held at Vatican from Sunday.

 Out of the 12 delegates from India, eight are from Kerala. Pope Benedict XVI will inaugurate the Synod.

 Delegates from Kerala are Cardinal George Alencherry of the Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese, Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis of Triruvananthapuram, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Palai, Bishop Stanley Roman of Kollam, Fr Jose Panthaplamthottiyil CMI, Fr Thomas Manjaly of Shillong, Sri Manoj Sunny of Jesus Youth, Sr Rekha M Chennattu of Pune.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, Archbishop A Malayappan Chinnappa of Chennai, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa are the other delegates from India.

 The assembly of the representatives of the universal Church was initiated after the II Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI in 1967 and the present meet is the 13th edition. This year the Synod will have the highest number of participants compared to the previous editions. The topic of consideration for this year’s Synod is ‘The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith’.

The Synod will conclude on October 28.

“It is definitely a recognition for the Church in Kerala and it makes all Malayalam-speaking Catholics across the country and abroad proud,” said Kerala Catholic Bishops Council deputy secretary Fr Stephan Alathara