CCA mourns the demise of His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Paulose II of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

No preference updated.

12 July 2021

The Supreme Head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India, His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, has passed away. His Holiness was 74 years of age.

The septuagenarian Catholicos of the Indian Orthodox Church had been undergoing treatment for cancer for the past two years.

While expressing condolences, the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) Dr Mathews George Chunakara stated that His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was an unassuming ecclesiastical leader and had always been concerned about the poor and the needy in society.

“The philanthropic services His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II had initiated and the special interests taken to motivate the congregations and the faithful of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church provided new dimensions to the diaconal ministry of the church,” said the CCA General Secretary.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara recollected his several meetings with His Holiness Catholicos Paulose II in India and overseas during the past decade. “I was always impressed with the simplicity, sincerity, and warm-heartedness of such a high-profile ecclesiastical leader, and I will ever cherish the love and affection I received from His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Paulose II,” said Dr Mathews George Chunakara.

“With the passing away of His Holiness, the Church in India has lost one more of its senior ecclesiastical leaders who has been a distinguished representative of Indian Christians, and who was a voice on their behalf in the wider social milieu, especially at a time as crucial as that of today,” wrote the CCA General Secretary in a condolence message he sent to the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Born on 30 August 1946 in a village near Kunnamkulam in Kerala, the southern Indian state which is considered to be the citadel of Christianity in India, and named K.I. Paul, His Holiness was ordained as a priest in 1973 and consecrated as a bishop in 1985. Following the abdication of his predecessor His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymus I, he was enthroned on 1 November 2010 with the name Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, thereby becoming the Catholicos of the East.

His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Paulose II took a special interest in the past years in enhancing bilateral relations with heads of various Orthodox churches in other parts of the world such as the Ethiopian, Armenian, and Russian Orthodox churches, as well as with the Roman Catholic Church.

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, a founding member of CCA, is one of the ancient Christian churches in India which traces its historical roots and tradition to AD 52.

His Holiness’ mortal remains will be buried at Devalokam, headquarters campus in Kottayam, Kerala, on 13 July 2021.

The full text of the CCA General Secretary’s Letter to the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church can be found here: