Delegation from Malankara Church visits Moscow Theological Academy
On March 9, 2025 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation from the Malankara Church, arriving in Russia from India, visited the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy.
The delegation included: Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Malankara Church, Metropolitan Yuhannon Mar Demetrios of Delhi, Metropolitan Gevargis Mar Julios of Kunnamkulam, and Executive Director of the DECR of the Malankara Church, Priest Ashwin Fernandis.
In the morning, representatives of the Malankara Church attended the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great in the Intercession Academic Church.
At the end of the service, the Abbot of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Co-Chairman of the Working Group for Coordinating Bilateral Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church, Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov, welcomed the guests and thanked them for their visit:
"Today, dear fathers, brothers, and sisters, we warmly welcome our dear guests—the hierarchs and clergy of the Malankara Church, who have come to us from India. The history of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church began in the second half of the 20th century. In 1976, Catholicos of the East and Metropolitan of Malankara Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I visited Russia. Then, in 1977, His Holiness Patriarch Pimen made a return visit to India. The Primate of our Church was warmly received by the Malankara Church, and we always remember this.
Now, new prospects are opening up for the development of bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church. I would like to note that our traditions have much in common, but at the same time, due to historical and cultural features, the Russian Church, like any other Local Orthodox Church, and the Malankara Church are completely unique. This does not prevent us from learning about each other. Moreover, they are very interested in our singing tradition and iconography. One of the priests of the Malankara Church, Father Anup, graduated from the Faculty of Church Singing of our Academy over a year ago.
Of course, there is plenty of shared interest between our Churches in social and educational projects. We hope that in the near future, our relations will successfully develop and strengthen on the basis of the only Truth.
Our brothers from India have no guile, but a pure and good desire to be closer to the truth, like Nathanael, whom we heard about today in the Gospel, honest desire to be together with us and united in Christ. We believe that, by common prayers, God willing, this will happen."
In response, the Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Malankara Church, Metropolitan Yuhannon Mar Demetrios of Delhi, addressed the rector and the academic community. The guest conveyed greetings from the Primate of the Malankara Church, His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews III, and thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Bishop Kirill for the warm and hospitable reception.
"For us it is, of course, a great blessing to be present today in this holy church during the celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. Today, we wholeheartedly join your prayers for those holy people through lives of which the Orthodox faith was shown to the world. As many of you know, yesterday we met with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; and you cannot imagine how much effort His Holiness has made so that our Churches, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church of India, would be closer not only in theory but also in practice.
His Grace Kirill mentioned the theological dialogue that took place between the theologians of the Russian Church and the Malankara Church in the 20th century. These theologians from both sides concluded that there are no theological disagreements between our Churches. Despite some terminological disagreements, we are adherents of the Apostolic Tradition. Within the framework of the activities of our Working Group for Coordinating Bilateral Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church, a body of theologians is already being formed, which will be entrusted with continuing these theological negotiations.
Attending the service today and admiring the beauty of the Intercession Academic Church, I was filled with hope that perhaps one day, within the framework of our dialogue, our people will learn to paint churches in an equally beautiful manner. For us, it is a great joy to realize that the current Primate of our Church, as well as one of the leading choirmasters of ancient Syrian singing, once studied in the St. Petersburg Theological Academy under the rectorate of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
For our Church, for our believers, it was a great joy to welcome the choir of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy not so long ago in the state of Kerala, in the Christian part of India. Our believers were able to hear the spiritual chants of the Russian Church. I very much hope that through these practical things, such as iconography, church singing, and the exchange of experience in other spheres of church life, we will be able to become even closer and realize our unity. Not only our Churches are cooperating. As you know, Russia and India now support each other, working together in various fields. And in these difficult times, when Russia is facing the challenges of a multipolar world, our country, our Church supports Russia even more so. The Primate of our Church zealously supports the position of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia on many issues, especially in these difficult times. I hope that the Lord will have mercy on us and bless the attempts to bring our Churches closer to each other; that through our interaction, through our friendship, through our visible unity and love, we will be able to show this world together that we are united in Christ and that we love our Lord."
After the Liturgy, the guests visited the Trinity Cathedral of the Lavra, where they venerated the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh and the image of the Holy Trinity, painted by St. Andrei Rublev. Here they also honored the memory of His Holiness Patriarchs Alexy I and Pimen, who visited the land of India.
Then, an excursion around the monastery and the theological academy was organized for the delegation. The guests visited the Assumption and Refectory churches of the monastery, the sacristy of the Lavra, ascended the bell tower, and visited the icon-painting workshops of the Moscow Theological Academy.
In the rector's office of the MThA, a meeting was held with the guests, during which the sides discussed the project of future theological consultations within the framework of the activities of the working group for coordinating bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church. At the end of the meeting, the sides exchanged commemorative gifts.
During their visit to Russia, the delegation was accompanied by Secretary of the DECR of the Moscow Patriarchate for Inter-Christian Relations, Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), and DECR staff member Hieromonk Mark (Akhmatkhanov).
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On March 7 with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, a delegation from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church arrived in Russia from India to participate in the celebrations on the day of the relics uncovering of St. Matrona of Moscow. In recent years the veneration of St. Matrona by Indian Christians has been growing and such visits have become traditional.
On March 8, Saturday of the first week of Great Lent and the feast of St. Matrona of Moscow, the guests prayed at the Patriarchal service in the Intercession Monastery in Moscow.
On the same day, after the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Renewal of the Church in the name of Christ's Resurrection in the Intercession Monastery, a meeting between His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the members of the Malankara Church delegation was held in the abbess's quarters.
Background information:
The Working Group for Coordinating Bilateral Relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church was established by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 29, 2019 (Journal No. 137).
The co-chairman of the group is the Rector of the MThA, Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov.
The first meeting of the working group was held on February 3–7, 2020, in Kottayam, the second on April 24–27, 2023, in Moscow, and the third on August 21–25, 2024, in Dubai.
MThA Press Office
