Joint guidelines for pastoral care of faithful from Catholic, Jacobite Churches presented

Joint guidelines to provide pastoral care for the faithful of the Catholic Church and the Jacobite Church at hospitals and higher education centres were presented at a theological dialogue commission meeting held in Kottayam on Friday.

The guidelines will be presented for the approval of the Synods of the Churches. The aim is to ensure sacraments like anointment of the sick, confession, and holy communion for patients from the priests of their respective Churches. The guidelines will also cover pastoral care for students at higher education institutions.

An agreement had been signed by the heads of the Churches in 1984, based on which the faithful can receive sacraments from priests of the other Church when priests of their own Church were not available, in emergency situations. The decision in 1994 to allow marriages between the two denominations, without changing Churches, was based on this agreement.

In addition, papers were presented on the topic ‘Challenges and opportunities in the faith journey in the digital world’.

Published - December 14, 2024 01:49 am IST