Kindly find below the Official Letter sent from His Beatitude Mor Ignatius Youssef III YOUNAN, Patriarch of Antioch for Syriac catholic Church, to His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Mor Cleemis, Catholicos of the Syrian Malankara Catholic Church, to express and assure solidarity of the Syriac Catholic Church with the Sister Syrian Malankara Catholic Church, during these times of trial and difficulty which Kerala is going through:

Prot. Nr.: 154/2018

Sunday, August 19, 2018

    His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Mor Cleemis

    Catholicos of the Syrian Malankara Catholic Church

    Dear brother Catholicos:

    We are extremely saddened by the news of the terrible floods that continue to hit Kerala until present day. We have been abhorred of the scenes of devastation of land and institutions: churches, schools, hospitals and houses. The hecatomb-like disaster that engulfed Kerala, causing growing number of victims, shattered families and people, is breaking our hearts.

    Please, be assured that our Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch, her Synod’s Fathers, clergy, consecrated persons and all her faithful, wants to express her sincere and deep closeness, with her beloved Sister Syrian Malankara Catholic Church. We firmly hope that you, as a spiritual Father, Pastor and Head, with your assistants, will overcome this ordeal.

    We always remember your exceptional solidarity by offering generous help to our recently eradicated communities in Syria and Iraq. We hope, in return, to be able to hand a token to our brothers and sisters tragically affected by the natural disaster in Kerala.

    To whom would we go seeking relief and consolation, better than to Mary, our Mother of mercies? Let us petition her intercession, as our forefathers used to sing in an ancient Syriac hymn:

    «ܝܳܠܕܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܒܬܽܘܠܬܳܐ ܕܽܘܟܪܳܢܶܟܝ ܠܒܽܘܪܟܬܳܐ܆ ܠܪ̈ܰܚܺܝܩܶܐ ܘܰܠܩܰܪ̈ܺܝܒܶܐ ܦܰܢܳܝ ܫ̈ܶܐܠܳܬܗܽܘܢ. ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܰܟܪܺܝܗ ܗܰܒ ܠܶܗ ܚܽܘܠܡܳܢܳܐ܆ ܘܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܰܡܥܳܩ ܒܥܳܝ ܠܶܗ ܠܽܘܒܳܒܳܐ. ܘܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܫܳܚܶܩ ܠܶܗ ܛܪܽܘܕܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܡܶܢܶܗ. ܒܰܨܠܽܘܬܶܟܝ ܘܰܒܒܳܥܽܘܬܶܟܝ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܥܠܰܝܢ. ܗܰܠܶܠܽܘܝܰܗ ܨܠܽܘܬܶܟܝ ܬܥܰܕܰܪܝ ܠܰܢ».

    “O Mother of God and Virgin, may your commemoration be a blessing: listen to the requests of those who are far and near, heal the sick, relieve those who are in pain and free those who are harassed by the Evil One; through your prayer and intercession may we have mercies, Halleluia, intercede for us!”

    Always united in Christ, our unshakeable Hope, I remain fraternally

    Ignatius Youssef III YOUNAN