His Grace Zachariah Mar Nicholovos and His Grace Zacharias Mar Aprem:

We, the undersigned, write to you because we love the Church and know the church to be a sanctuary of healing. However, we write this letter with great pain, sorrow, and disappointment due to the Church’s lack of response to the issues of sexual misconduct and misuse of trust by clergy.

As you are aware, sexual assault is an issue that spans many victims over several generations within this Church. There have been priests under your authority that have sexually abused your flock. The majority of survivors do not report their experiences for various reasons. Some were minors at the time of the abuse or are still minors. Many fear being shunned or shamed. Many fear retaliation.

We have come to learn:

• The allegations against Slomo George were not isolated to California.  They extend previously to both Arizona and Chicago while Slomo George was under the supervision of the undivided American Diocese
• Father Daniel Pullelil who has served throughout North America allegedly molested multiple church members with no repercussions
• Incidents of impropriety have been reported directly to you about other Priests, Deacons, Seminarians of the Northeast American Diocese but no actions or investigations were conducted.
• Members of the clergy undergo name changes after allegations are made
• Members of the clergy are reassigned to other parishes after allegations are made; and
• Members of the clergy are sent back to India after allegations are made.

We have come to understand that the current procedure for reporting an incident of sexual misconduct is for the victim to provide a signed letter to you, detailing the abuse they suffered at the hands of your priests. Without an objective and publicly available protocol, there is no way to clearly understand how the matter would be dealt with, whether the victim's privacy would be protected, if an unbiased investigation would take place, and what the consequences are for the clergy member, if it is determined that the allegations are true.

The victims of clergy abuse in our community do not feel safe enough to come forward and make a complaint due to the lack of protocols and procedures laid out by the church. Neither victims nor their families are prepared to deal with whatever consequences may follow if they do come forward. Victims and their families have legitimate fears that their abuser will simply be transferred to a place where they could abuse others or that victims and their families would suffer retaliation at the hands of our community.

It is the responsibility of the Church to protect us and our children from predators; and to be the shield of protection so that future assaults may be prevented.  While we know that the Holy Episcopal Synod has begun to address this issue, we believe that we are justifiably skeptical that we would have our concerns addressed. We believe that having a protocol in place can ensure both the safety of our faithful as well as our clergy. Therefore, we wanted to encourage, in the strongest way possible, the adoption and implementation of a protocol to prevent and address sexual misconduct for use in both dioceses that cover North America.

We ask that you incorporate (at minimum) the following policies: 

• A standardized path to Ordination;
• Criminal background checks for both current and future clergy;
• Provide an independent/anonymous method for reporting clergy sexual abuse;
• Create an independent investigation procedure;
• Require mandatory reporting to the proper authorities in any case where sexual abuse by clergy is alleged;
• Immediate suspension of clergy members from all priestly functions while under investigation of sexual abuse;
• All churches in the diocese must be informed of a clergy suspension via Kalpana;
• Defrock clergy members who have committed sexual abuse;
• Protocols for reintroduction;
• Create a system of accountability, involving laypeople, to ensure that the policies are adhered to.

Clergy sexual abuse in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is not one or two isolated incidents, but a systemic issue that must be addressed. Addressing clergy sexual abuse must be the number one priority of the Northeast American Diocese to ensure the sheep of Christ are protected.

We, the faithful children of the Church, write this letter because we love God and His Church. We thank you for your time and consideration and look forward to your strong leadership during this turbulent period, as we heal and seek to reestablish our trust in the Church.

Yours faithfully in Christ