For centuries, Catholics in India have drawn support from and expressed their faith through the liturgies, traditions and spiri-tualities of three different rites; Pope Francis said it is time that all of them, no matter where they live in the country, have their own bishops.

The Vatican announced on 10 October that Pope Francis had created two new eparchies, or dioceses, for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and extended the boundaries of two others. A letter from Pope Francis to all the bishops of India explained the move.

Close to 20 million Catholics live in India; the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has about 4.2 million members and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has about 450,000 faithful.

“In India, even after many centuries, Christians are only a small proportion of the population and, consequently, there is a particular need to demonstrate unity and to avoid any semblance of division,” Pope Francis wrote. But the different Catholic rites do not have to be a sign of division when they are, in fact, “a treasure” for the church.

“I have therefore authorized the Congregation for the Oriental Churches to provide for the pastoral care of the Syro-Malabar faithful throughout India by the erection of two Eparchies and by the extension of the boundaries of the two already in existence” Pope Francis wrote.

“I decree also that the new circumscriptions, as with those already in existence, be entrusted to the pastoral care of the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly and to the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church, according to the norms of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.”

“This is a historic move,” said Fr Paul Thelakat, a senior priest of the church and its former spokesperson. “It removes administrative restrictions imposed on the church by Portuguese missionaries since the 16th century.”