Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem II meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi

Kochi: Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem II met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.During the visit to the PM's official residence in Delhi, critical issues, including the church dispute in Malankara Church, were discussed. Catholicos of Jacobite Church Mor Baselios Joseph, Delhi diocese head Kuriakose Mor Youssef, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Twenty-20 chief coordinator Sabu M Jacob were present at the meeting. Jacobite Church said in a statement that PM expressed the central govt's desire to resolve the long-standing church dispute through discussions. He assured the Patriarch of all necessary support and intervention from central govt, the church said. The Patriarch praised PM for his peace efforts and initiatives on a global scale, as well as his personal influence. "I was honoured to meet His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. We had a great discussion on a wide range of issues," Modi said in a post on X.