(ANS – Jerusalem) – On the occasion of its Annual Day, Dies Academicus, 20 November 2014, the Jerusalem Campus of the Salesian Pontifical University (Studium Theologicum Salesianum) hosted George Cardinal Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, who delivered a Lectio Magistralis on the importance of the unity of the Christian Churches and the role of individual (sui iuris) Churches within the Catholic Church.

The words of welcome were given by the Rector of the Salesian Monastery Ratisbonne, Rev. Fr Andrew Wong. Then the Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine, Mgr. Giuseppe Lazzaroto, proposed the “way of Gaudium et Spes - the common good of humanity.”

After that the president of the campus (STS), Fr Biju Michael, introduced the Guests of honour and Cardinal George Alencherry took the stage. In his introductory remarks, he underlined the appropriate timing of the day's lecture, "... today’s lecture is quite well timed particularly because this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium of Vatican II and the Decrees Orientalium Ecclesiarum and Unitatis Redintegratio. These three documents were promulgated on November 21, 1964.

He began by quoting Pope Francis while speaking on the unity and holiness of the Church and stressed the need to live as a community centred on Christ; he proposed a theoretical as well as practical ecumenism based on the above three documents.

Later in his lecture, the Cardinal insistently stated that the unity of Christians will be possible only if there is a change of heart (an interior conversion) enlightened by faith, guided by prayer and an openness to live in fraternal harmony. Unity though, he said, is not uniformity, giving the example of his own Church. "The Syro-Malabar Church or the Church of St. Thomas Christians of India is as old as Christianity itself in the Indian soil." The Cardinal acknowledged that there are slight differences in liturgical practices between the Syro-Malabar Church and the Latin Church yet, he said, the two have never broken communion. Then, referring to the unity between the 23 Catholic Churches of the East and West that have kept intact the faith received from the Apostles, His Beatitude quoted Pope St. John Paul II to stress the need for unity, "The Church must learn to breathe again with its two lungs: its Eastern one and its Western one." 

He then highlighted the most important aspects of the following themes, crucial for dialogue between Christian churches: the Church is a Communion of Churches; Individual (sui iuris) Churches and Rites; Canonical Definition of Church sui iuris and Rite; the Prayer of Jesus-the Heart of Our Unity; Gift of God - not the fruit of a Treaty; the Eucharist and Unity; the Role of Eastern Catholic Churches (sui iuris) in the Path towards Church Unity, and Collaboration in the Field of Evangelization and Pastoral Care.

In his concluding remarks, Cardinal Alencherry made a call to unity for all the Christian Churches to stand together and face the cultural and social trends that are leading to a progressive de-Christianization and secularization everywhere; and to call the attention of the audience “to the plight of Christians living here in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria, and other religious and ethnic minorities who are suffering because of the violence raging across the region.”

The lectio magistralis was followed by a time of dialogue on the topic with the Cardinal. This was followed by the release of the book “Tu, Giovanni” written by Rev. Fr Joan Vernet, the Professor of Biblical History and Archeology. The new edition in Arabic of the Liturgical Hymns published by the Patriarchate was also presented to the audience. The event concluded with the melodious singing of “On Eagle’s Wings” by the STS choir.

The STS is dedicating the entire academic year to a focused study of the Oriental/Eastern Churches through conferences and visits to the various churches in Jerusalem.

Published 24/11/2014