We invite all Syro-Malabar Catholic faithful to support this petition to the Holy See, seeking justice and pastoral fairness for our community.
Your voice matters. Your signature is your witness.
All information will remain strictly confidential under GDPR guidelines in Great Britain. Details will be shared only with the Holy See and the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, and accessible solely to two authorised administrators.
Dear Friends,
We warmly invite all Syro-Malabar Catholic faithful to support an important petition linked below. This petition is being submitted to the Holy See, seeking justice, clarity, and pastoral fairness for our community—especially in light of the recent denial of rightful access to the sacraments by the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain.
Please note with sincerity and respect:
- 🙏 We hold no opposition toward the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain as a religious institution.
- ✝ Our concern is solely with certain practices that have caused deep pain, confusion, and pastoral injustice among the faithful.
Why This Petition Matters
The denial of sacraments—such as Baptism even for infants and Marriage for young couples—contradicts canon law, pastoral responsibility, and the Church's mission. These actions also conflict with religious freedom protections under UK civil law, including the Human Rights Act, which guarantees the right to worship freely within any Catholic Church under the authority of the Holy Father.
As faithful members of the Syro-Malabar Church, we believe it is our duty to raise our voice in truth, charity, and unity.
Information Required to Sign
- Full Name
- Country of Residence (Pravasi)
- Email Address
Privacy Assurance
All data will be handled confidentially under UK GDPR regulations and shared only with the Holy Father and the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, accessible solely to two authorised administrators.
Who Can Sign
Any Syro-Malabar Catholic aged 18 or above, practicing the faith in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland.
Deadline
Please add your signature on or before 30th December 2025.
Your signature is a witness to truth, justice, and pastoral care. Together, let us seek healing, unity, and the restoration of charity in our community.
Yours faithfully,
Tomy Sebastian & Saji Thomas
President & Secretary
UKSMFJF (United Kingdom Syro-Malabar Faith and Justice Forum)
The Nutshell of the Petition
Petition to His Holiness Pope Leo
Regarding Pastoral Access to the Sacraments for Syro-Malabar Faithful in the United Kingdom
Most Holy Father,
We, members of the United Kingdom Syro-Malabar Faith and Justice Forum (UKSMFJF), humbly approach Your Holiness as faithful children of the Catholic Church, seeking your pastoral intervention and guidance.
We gratefully acknowledge the long-standing spiritual care and generosity extended by the Latin Catholic Church in England and Wales, through which many Syro-Malabar migrant families and their children have received Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, and ongoing faith formation.
Since the establishment of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain (2016), many faithful—especially families whose children are English-speaking and formed within Latin parishes—have faced pastoral distress. In several cases, permissions required to receive sacraments in local Latin parishes have been denied, including for Baptism and Matrimony, solely due to ritual or jurisdictional affiliation.
These practices have caused spiritual hardship, confusion, and fear of faith loss among children and young people. We believe that the denial of sacraments by the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain, solely because the faithful attend Latin churches with which they are affiliated, contradicts the Church's pastoral mission and the supreme law of the Church, salus animarum (CIC Canon 1752).
We respectfully recall the pastoral direction given by Pope Francis, encouraging cooperation between Eastern and Latin hierarchies, pastoral mercy, and the free reception of sacraments where spiritually beneficial.
Our Humble Appeal
We humbly request Your Holiness to:
- Encourage pastoral cooperation between the Latin Hierarchy and the Syro-Malabar Eparchy in Great Britain.
- Instruct the Syro-Malabar Eparchy to accept documents issued by Latin churches for the reception of the sacraments, rather than penalising or rejecting requests solely because Syro-Malabar faithful attend Latin churches.
- Ensure that no Catholic faithful is denied the sacraments solely due to ritual or jurisdictional affiliation, in the absence of any canonical impediments.
We make this appeal in loyalty to the Magisterium, love for the Church, and trust in your pastoral heart. We entrust this petition to your prayerful consideration.
With filial devotion and respect,
Tomy Sebastian
President – UKSMFJF
Saji Thomas
Secretary – UKSMFJF
uksmfjf@gmail.com
CC: The above petition to the oriental congregation
