Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church, has said that the Church would become stronger through participation by laity.

Addressing the valedictory of a joint meeting of the pastoral council secretaries of the church and the bishops on August 26, Cardinal Alencherry said the crisis faced by the Church can be solved through talks. “The decisions taken by the bishops through consensus and prayers would augment the unity and peace in the Church and everyone should cooperate with it,” he said.

This is for the first time in the history of Church that a joint meeting of pastoral secretaries and bishops, who represent 35 Syro-Malabar dioceses, was organized. The meeting expressed concern over media intervening in the internal affairs of the Church and said the Synod should formulate definite views regarding Church discipline.

The campaigns undertaken through social media has also deeply hurt the Church, the meet observed. It also expressed concern over the Gadgil committee report being utilized to harass settler farmers in the state.

Various laity organizations had on August 27 staged a rosary prayer procession to St Thomas Mount at Kakkanad where the 27th Synod of Syro-Malabar Church is in session.

The movement had earlier decided not to stage a protest march and instead take out a prayer rally. The protesters arrived carrying rosaries in their hand in two separate processions that merged in front of St Thomas Mount.