Syro Malabar Church urges truth against digital misinformation

KOCHI, Kerala (Indian Catholic News) — Amid growing polarization, hostility and misinformation, Christians should become discerning seekers of truth like St. Thomas while helping renew unity and community life, the head of the Syro Malabar Church said.

In a pastoral letter for the Feast of Dukrana,  Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil of Ernakulam-Angamaly urged Catholics to resist the dangers of digital culture. The head of the Eastern Catholic Church based in the southern Indian state of Kerala called on them to verify information before sharing it and to bear witness to truth in daily life.

“In today’s digital media culture, which often causes polarization and hostility,” Archbishop Thattil wrote. “Christians have an urgent duty to seek the truth and arrive at wise and responsible decisions. In an age when rumours spread rapidly and truth is frequently obscured, we must become seekers of truth like St. Thomas.”

Dukrana commemorates St. Thomas the Apostle, whom Christians believe brought the Gospel to India before being martyred near present-day Chennai in A.D. 72. The feast, celebrated on July 3, is also observed as Syro Malabar Church Day.

St. Thomas as model of faithful inquiry

Reflecting on the apostle’s life, Archbishop Thattil said Thomas’ questioning after Christ’s resurrection represented an authentic search for truth rather than disbelief.

“The doubt of Thomas was not an expression of disbelief in the negative sense,” the archbishop wrote, describing the apostle’s journey  “from doubt to faith, from inquiry to witnessing, from discipleship to martyrdom”  as the path every Christian is called to follow.

He also cited St. Gregory the Great observation that “the unbelief of Thomas has been more beneficial to our faith than the faith of the other disciples.”

The pastoral letter connected St. Thomas’ example with the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, social media and the digital revolution.

While acknowledging that technology offers many opportunities, Archbishop Thattil warned “it has also become a platform where falsehood, hatred, and defamation are deliberately disseminated.”

Before forwarding messages, we must verify the truth, he wrote. “Today, more than ever, we need the prudence and vigilance to examine carefully what we encounter, to verify what we do not know, to refrain from promoting what is untrue, and to courageously oppose falsehood wherever it appears.”

Families face growing digital pressures

The archbishop also expressed concern about weakening family relationships, the neglect of elderly parents, rising youth violence and drug abuse.

He described the family as “the first school of faith” and encouraged parents to preserve traditions of praying together, sharing meals and sharing responsibilities.

Warning against excessive dependence on technology, he highlighted “digital slavery,” reduced family conversation, children’s growing reliance on screens and declining time for prayer.

“Therefore, I urge all families to observe regular periods of ‘digital fasting,’ to refrain from using mobile phones during meals, and to set aside time each day for family prayer,” he wrote.

The pastoral letter also echoed Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, saying technology must always serve humanity rather than dominate it and emphasizing that every person’s dignity comes from God’s love rather than ability, wealth or social status.

Community renewal and ecclesial unity

Archbishop Thattil also called for greater unity within the Syro Malabar Church. “Communion is at the very heart of the Church‟s nature,” he wrote. Differences of opinion may naturally arise within the Church. However, factional or sectarian attitudes are contrary to the spirit of the Church.”

He noted that 2026 has been designated the Church’s Year of Community Empowerment. The programs approved by the Synod should be implemented fruitfully at every level of Church life, he said.

“As a community of believers, while firmly upholding our legitimate rights, we must also cultivate respect for others, cooperate in matters of public concern, and join hands with others wherever possible” he added.

Concluding the letter, Archbishop Thattil reminded Christians that although few are called to martyrdom today, all believers are called to witness through “truth, justice, faith and patience in the Church, in society, in our families, and in every circumstance of life.”

“Let us not be builders of the Tower of Babel; rather, let us become builders of the Kingdom of God, constructing communities where God and humanity dwell together in harmony within the Church, society, and family,” he wrote.

Read the pastoral letter.