Signed by Knanaya Samudayam!

We, the undersigned members of the Knanaya community, affirm our faith in the Holy See of Antioch as the Apostolic See of St. Peter and in Your Holiness as the legitimate Patriarch. We humbly and respectfully thank Your Holiness’s intervention at the appropriate time to re-establish peace and order within the Knanaya Samudayam and its churches.

As Your Holiness is aware, events during the past 10+ years in the Knanaya Samudayam have caused significant distress and pain to us and our families. 

Our ancient faith has been challenged by some of our own brothers and sisters who have recently shown rebellion towards the church. Our community was once a close-knit, endogamous ethnic group, living in unity, harmony, and peace under the leadership of the late His Eminence Abraham Mor Clemis Metropolitan. Today, however, we no longer experience the peace and happiness we once shared. Our churches have become places of conflict and discord; even our liturgy and holy sacraments are becoming diluted. Our families are divided into factions and have lost the harmony we once enjoyed. We are losing the Christianity and principles our forefathers cherished and passed down to us.

 Our children and youth are growing up amid these disputes and chaos and are beginning to question our faith and ancient traditions. We do not want them to lose faith in our church and turn to newer beliefs. We are deeply concerned about the future of our next generation and the future of our church.

Through this petition we prayerfully request Your Holiness support and help in establishing channels for promoting, educating, reviving and spreading awareness of true Syrian Orthodox faith among our laity including our youth. We also would like to bring to the kind attention of Your Holiness that our community lack monasticism and a monastic culture that would pray for our Church constantly and keep our Church grounded to Orthodoxy and the Holy tradition.

Therefore, we respectfully request Your Holiness to lead us strongly to restore lasting peace and harmony within our churches and the Knanaya community, so that our children may grow in true faith. We are committed to passing down the ancient faith, preserved and protected by our ancestors for 2,000 years, to future generations. Your Holiness, we pledge that we are with Holy throne of Antioch till our death, since we are properly moulded in the apostolic furnace. Please bless this diocese and also pray for our community and we also pray for the Holy Throne for ruling us strongly forever, to protect our faith, traditions and Syrian Orthodox belief.

 With prayers and love,

The Laity of the Knanaya Community Who Stand for Antioch

An initiative by the global Knanaya women’s group who stand for Antioch on behalf of the Knanaya Samudayam.