The Successor of St. Thomas in Europe

A grand reception was accorded to His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II by the U. K. Europe Africa Diocese and the Lambeth Palace of the Anglican Church jointly on 9th September 2013 at Lambeth Palace, London, the headquarters of the Anglican Church. The special highlight during this ecclesiastical visit was an exhibition in honour of the Catholicos of the letters written by the supreme heads of Malankara Orthodox Church to the Arch Bishops of Canterbury from time to time from 1939 on the backdrop of the mutual relationship between these two Churches. The credit of this exhibition goes to Mr. Gines Mantel Brott, the Lambeth Librarian. The Catholicos discussed with bishop Jeffrey Rowell, the co-chairman of Anglican-Oriental Orthodox Dialogue and Christopher Chessun, the Bishop of Southwark Diocese, London about need, possibilities and arrangements of resuming the Dialogue between Oriental Orthodox and Anglican Church which halted temporarily in 2003. Discussions were also made to explore the possibilities and opportunities for higher studies and research in history and theology. It was decided to discover platforms for studies and dialogue between these two Churches by the respective ecumenical departments. Following this, Bishop Angelos (the Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in London), Abba Seraphim (the supreme head of the British Orthodox Church under the Coptic Orthodox Church), Bishop Vahan (President of the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches in England and the Bishop of the Armenian Orthodox Church), Bishop Antonios (Ethiopian Orthodox Church), the Bishop of the Eritrean Orthodox Church met the Catholicos as a group at Lambeth Palace. Nearly sixty distinguished leaders representing various Christian ecumenical bodies in England and Wales attended the historic meeting.

Dr. Mathews Mar Thimotheos Metropolitan, Diocese of U. K., Europe and Africa