Ever thought?

When History Speaks, Constitutions Tremble: Jacobite Faith Stands on St. Peter’s Rock The history of the Malankara Church is one of deep faith, struggle for identity, and continuing disputes regarding authority and legitimacy. While various narratives exist, it is essential to critically examine the facts, historical continuity, canonical traditions, and legal verdicts in order to arrive at a just and reasoned understanding. This is a response to recent claims, such as those presented in certain infographics, that oversimplify and distort history to present the Indian Orthodox Church (MOSC) as the sole custodian of Malankara’s apostolic tradition. A careful analysis demonstrates that the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, under the supreme headship of the Patriarch of Antioch, represents the authentic continuation of the faith and canonical order of the ancient St. Thomas Christians of India. The infographic in question simplifies the Malankara dispute into a binary opposition between a ...

In today’s fast-paced and demanding world, it is easy to forget that priests, like all human beings, are not machines. They are not tireless engines programmed to dispense blessings, perform rituals, and attend to the needs of every person around them without pause or limitation. Priests are human  with minds, hearts, bodies, and limitations  called to a sacred vocation but still bound by the realities of human existence. To treat them as anything less is to strip away the very depth of their calling and to place on them unrealistic burdens that no one could carry. The Psycho-Spiritual Reality At the heart of priesthood lies a profound psycho-spiritual responsibility. Priests are entrusted with guiding others in faith, offering spiritual counsel, and standing as mediators of the sacred. This is not mechanical work; it requires deep emotional investment, discernment, prayer, and constant renewal of inner strength. Every confession heard, every funeral conducted, every pastoral ...

One of the most alarming realities confronting the Church today is the manner in which ordination, once revered as the culmination of years of theological training, spiritual discipline, and moral discernment, is increasingly reduced to a matter of favoritism, convenience, and, at times, financial influence. Within the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, this crisis has become particularly visible in recent years. Traditionally, priesthood in the Syriac Orthodox tradition has never been treated as a casual appointment. Candidates were expected to undergo years of seminary formation, steeped in biblical studies, patristic theology, liturgical traditions, and pastoral orientation. The seminary was not merely an academic training ground; it was a place of spiritual refinement, testing the perseverance, discipline, and faithfulness of those who desired to serve the altar of God. This rigorous process ensured that only those who were spiritually mature and doctrinally sound were entrusted with...

When Faith Becomes Personality-Centred: A Critique of Hierarchical Worship in the Syrian Orthodox Church Christianity, at its very heart, is not merely a religious system of rituals and traditions but a living faith grounded in the worship of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From its earliest creeds to its deepest theological reflections, the essence of the Christian faith has remained Christocentric and Trinitarian. The Church, as the Body of Christ, exists to draw believers into communion with God through the saving work of Jesus Christ and the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit. This is the bedrock of Christian orthodoxy. Yet, over time, distortions have crept into the life of the Church, not only through external persecution and heretical doctrines but also through internal practices that shift the axis of faith. One such distortion is the subtle but dangerous tendency to transform the Church into a cult of personalities, where reverence and devotion are directed...

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) The pursuit of perfection has always been at the heart of human aspiration. Philosophers, theologians, and mystics have all wrestled with the meaning of perfection in the context of life’s complexity. To speak of perfection is not to imagine an error-free existence but to envision a life of harmony, integrity, and completeness. As C.S. Lewis once observed,  “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  Perfection, therefore, is not about sterile flawlessness, but about becoming what we were created to be. Being perfect, in the absolute sense, is not within the reach of human beings. If one were to live a flawless life, they would transcend even the angels, for perfection in its totality belongs only to God. Yet, the beauty of imperfection lies in its formative value. Life’s struggles, shortcomings, and even failures are the ver...