CNBB receives representatives of the Syriac Orthodox Malankara Church

Bishop Ricardo Hoepers, the auxiliary bishop of Brasília and general secretary of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), received a delegation from the Syriac Malankara Orthodox Church on Thursday, October 16. The group, which included 1 bishop and 6 priests, visited the CNBB to introduce themselves and strengthen ties with the conference.

The Malankara delegation included diocesan bishop Thomas Mar Ivanios and priest George Hatcher, both of whom serve in the United States, along with priests from various missions. They were accompanied by CNBB subsecretary general Father Leandro Megeto and Father Marcus Barbosa, an advisor to the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism.

Father Marcus Barbosa described the meeting as a fraternal encounter intended to build respect and understanding of different traditions to aid the search for Christian unity. The Commission for Ecumenism stated that both churches committed to continuing their shared mission of evangelization and expressed an interest in expanding dialogue with bishops in the regions where the Syriac Malankara Orthodox Church operates.