Major Archbishop to lead the consecration at St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Niranam

The consecration of the reconstructed St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church at Niranam will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

Major Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Cleemis Mar Baselios will lead the consecration service. Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvalla Thomas Mar Koorilos will be the co-celebrant.

The Major Archbishop and other dignitaries will be accorded a reception on their arrival at the Kadapra junction at 2 p.m. The first phase of the consecration ceremony will begin at 2.45 p.m.

A public meeting will also be held in connection with the consecration ceremony on the church premises at 4.30 p.m. Minister for Public Works P.J. Joseph will inaugurate the meeting and the Major Archbishop will preside over the function. Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos will welcome the gathering. P.K. Narayana Panicker, Nair Service Society general secretary, will release a souvenir.

Rev. Dr. John Kochuthundil is appointed the Rector of the Malankara Major Seminary

Cardinal Oswald Gracias Elected the New CBCI President

Four New Bishops and Two New Eparchies for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop with the consent of the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and having consulted the Apostolic See of Rome, has created two new Eparchies in the Church. They are Pathanamthitta in Kerala and Puthur in the State of Karnataka. Having been elected by the Holy Episcopal Synod, four new Bishops also have been appointed by him for the Church with the approval of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. He has announced the transfer of Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom, the present Bishop of Marthandom to the new See of Pathanamthitta and Most Rev. Geevarghese Mar Divannasios from the See of Bathery to the new See of Puthur. Most Rev. Joseph Mar Thomas, the Apostolic Visitator to North America and Europe is appointed Bishop of Bathery. To the See of Marthandom, falling vacant due the transfer of its present Bishop is appointed Very Rev. Fr. Vincent Kulapuravilai, the Professor and Registrar of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary Trivandrum. Very Rev. Dr. Samuel Kattukallil, the Syncellus of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum and Very Rev. Dr. Stephen Thottathil, Dean of the Faculty of Theology of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary are appointed Auxiliary Bishops of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum and the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla respectively. Very Rev. Dr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC, the Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the Chancellor of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is appointed the Bishop of the Curia.

The announcement was simultaneously made in Rome at 12 noon local time and in Trivandrum, the headquarters of the Syro-Malankara Church and at other Eparchial centres at 4.30 p.m. IST. In Trivandrum His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos made the announcement at St. Mary’s Cathedral in the presence of Bishops and a large number of Priests, Religious and Faithful of the Church. The Bishops of the Church invested the Bishops Designates with Episcopal insignia and congratulated them.

THE EPARCHIES

The Eparchy of Pathanamthitta is created bifurcating the present Major Archipearchy of Trivandrum. Its territory consists of the four ecclesiastical districts – Pathanamthitta, Konni, Ranni-Perunadu, Pandalam and the parishes of Anandapally, Angadickal, Chandanapally, Pongalady and Thatta of the ecclesiastical district of Adoor. This Eparchy is spread over a territory of 2100 Km2 with a total population of 1234016 of citizens. The Cathedral of the New Eparchy will be St. Peter’s Church Pathanamthitta.

The Eparchy of Puthur, is created consisting of the northern part of the Eparchy of Bathery. The territory of the Eparchy comprises of the civil districts of Dakshina Kannada, Chamrajnagar, Chickmagalur, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Mysore, Shimoga and Udupi of the Karnataka State. The Eparchy extends over an area of 51950 Km2 with a population of 13000000 citizens. The Eparchy has 21 parishes. There are 6 Eparchial Priests. There are also 6 Religious Priests and 21 women Religious working in the Eparchy. There are 36 educational and 4 charitable institutions. The Cathedral of the Eparchy will be St. Joseph’s Church, Puthur.

Very Rev. Dr. Vincent Kulapuravilai, born on 20 February 1964 hails from Kumarankudy in the District of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and belongs to the Eparchy of Marthandom. His parents are Kochupillai and Maria Thangam. After completing Higher Secondary Education at Yettacode, he joined the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary Trivandrum. He took his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary and degree in Theology from St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Kottayam. He was ordained Priest at his home parish Annakarai on 2 January 1991 by Most Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios. He did his Master’s Degree in History and professionally qualified himself with B. Ed. He obtained a doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from Rome. He served the Eparchy of Marthandom in various capacities like Parish Priest, Protopresbyter, Correspondent of MSC schools, Member of Education Board, Director of Children for Unity and Member of the Commission for Liturgy. Presently he is Professor and Registrar of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary. Besides English and Tamil, he knows Malayalam, German, Italian, Spanish and Syriac.

Very Rev. Dr. Samuel Kattukallil born on 13 May 1952 hails from Kadamminitta in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala, India in the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum. His parents are late K. C. Thomas and Annamma. After his High School Education in Kadammanitta, he joined the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary Trivandrum. On completing the bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Theology from St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary Aluva he was ordained priest on 22 December 1978 by Most Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios. He completed secular degrees of BA, MA, MPhil and PhD from the University of Kerala. After being Appointed Lecturer in Mar Ivanios College, he later served as the Principal of St. John’s College Anchal and retired as the Principal of Mar Ivanios College Trivandrum. From 1979 he served several parishes such as Erathumpamon, Muttathukonam, Pampukala, Vattakarikkam, Kuttichal, Vengode, Manjakala, Kunnapuzha, Kalliyal, Thirumala, Chalai, Palayam, Thiruvallam, Karakulam, Kallayam, Chenckalchoola, Anchal, Thazhamel and Ozhukuparackal as parish priest. Presently he is serving as the Syncellus of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandum. Languages known are Malayalam, English and Syriac.

Very Rev. Dr. Stephen Thottathil, born on 9 May 1952 hails from Karimpinamkuzhy, Ranni, Kerala, India in the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla. His parents are Philip and Mariamma. After High School education in Ranni he joined the Infant Mary Minor Seminary of Tiruvalla. He studied at Papal Seminary Pune and completed bechelor’s degree in Philosophy and Theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune. He was ordained priest for the then Eparchy of Tiruvalla on 27 April 1979 by Most Rev. Isaac Mar Yoohanon. He also completed his Master’s Degree in Theology from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune. After a few years of pastoral experience he did his Doctorate in Moral Theology at the Academia Alfonsiana Rome. Besides his ministry as Parish Priest, he served the Eparchy of Tiruvalla as the Rector of the Minor Seminary, Director of the Malankara Catholic Youth Movement andAssociate Administrator and later Director of Pushpagiri Hospital. He also served the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla as its Administrator when the See was vacant in the year 2003. From 2003 to 2006 he was the Protosyncellus of the Eparchy. Fr. Stephen Thottathil who was the Rector of the St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary during years 2000-’03 is presently serving the same seminary as the Dean of the Faculty of Theology. Besides Malayalam and English he knows Italian, German and Syriac.

Very Rev. Dr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC was born on 25 November 1955 at Adoor in the District of Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India. His parents are late C. Koshy and Kunjamma. After his schooling at Adoor and Kattanam he joined the Order of the Imitation of Christ or Bethany Ashram and made his First Profession in the year 1974. He had his priestly formation at Bethany Ashram Pune and took the bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Theology from the Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth Pune. He was ordained priest on 27 December 1980 by Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios, at Mar Ivanios Nagar, Kottayam, the venue of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Reunion Movement initiated by the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios. He completed his graduation from the University of Kerala. From the Pontifical Oriental Institute Rome he took his Doctorate in Oriental Canon Law. He was engaged in the ministry of the Bethany Ashram in various offices such as Master of Pre-Philosophers, Master of Pre-Novices, Procurator and Rector of Bethany Ashram Pune. He was the Director of Bethany Vedvijnana Peeth, Institute of Oriental Thology Pune. He served the Congregation as a member of General Council for two consecutive terms. His pastoral activities in the Church were primarily in the field of the organization of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the Extraterritorial Regions in India, especially in Pune. He also served the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla as its Judicial Vicar. Presently he is the Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the Chancellor of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia. Besides Malayalam and English, he speaks Hindi, German and Italian and knows Syriac

Newly Ordained Priests of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church

Nine seminarians received the Minor Order ‘maudyono’

Nine seminarians received the Minor Order ‘maudyono’ from Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop of tthe Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum on 30th March,2009 at St. Aloysius Minor Seminary, Nalanchira.

Don’t malign Church in Kerala: Archbishop

THE Marxist Communist party-led Kerala government is at it again – taunting Christians in the State.

A fresh row has erupted over a series of educational CDs published by the State government, which according to Christians portrays the church in bad light.

A CD titled ‘The Wound’ distributed to serve as teaching aids in schools attempted to ‘malign’ the church, a section of the Christians in the state said.

In a statement, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church urged the Kerala State Education Department to withdraw the CDs which were anti-Christian in character.

“The Church is concerned and pained, and strongly protests, the persecution of one religious community,” Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, said.

“The controversial CDs can be seen only as a continuation of the insult meted out by the Department to the Church during the past two years”, Mar Cleemis added.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Instructions has ordered a probe and also placed under suspension a teacher based in Kodakara in Thrissur for allegedly distributing the CD.

Education Minister M A Baby however was dismissive of the controversy.

On March 9, he said that the film was not meant as a study aid and that it had made its way mistakenly into a CD while downloading.

News reports said the church has opposed to all three CDs, ‘Murivu’, ‘Typewriter’ which is alleged to be offensive and “The Wound” which narrates the story of a boy who was struck by grief when a lamb gifted to him by a wounded man was run over by a car in which a person dressed like a bishop was traveling.

The CPI-M government has had a several run-ins with the church in Kerala in the recent past. In 2007, politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan and the Syro Malabar Church were involved in a war of words over a former legislator Mathai Chacko. Vijayan called Bishop Mar Paul Chitilapally ‘good for nothing’ and a ‘useless person’ after the latter claimed that Mathai Chacko, a committed Communist, took the last sacrament just before he died. When the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) took Vijayan to task over the ‘unparliamentary words’, he retracted his statement.

Last year, the KCBC and the Communist party-led government in Kerala were involved in a fracas over social science textbooks for 7th class students. The church alleged that the book instilled anti-religious feelings and atheistic attitudes in the minds of children and demanded its withdrawal. In the centre of the controversy then, Education Minister Baby refused to withdraw the textbook but offered a dialogue to discuss the ‘objectionable’ portions.

The Holy Father confers the title “Monsignor” on Rev. Fr. Johnson Varughese Kaimalayil

Rev. Fr. Johnson Varughese Kaimalayil, presently serving the Congregation for the Oriental Churches of the Holy See (Rome) as Official, has been promoted as Secretary, Class First, Level VIII. This promotion has been accepted by the Secretary of State. The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has conferred on him the title “Monsignor”.  This message has been conveyed to His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

On behalf of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Major Archbishop Catholicos and the Holy Episcopal Synod have conveyed congratulations and best wishes to Rt. Rev. Monsignor Johnson Varughese Kaimalyil.

Monsignor Johnson Varughese Kaimalayil, belongs to the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum and hails from St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church Anchal.  He was born on 22 June 1968.  On completing Pre-degree from St. John’s College Anchal, he joined the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary Trivandrum.  On completing the Theology course from St. Peter’s Seminary Bangalore he was ordained priest on 7 April 1994.  After a few years of pastoral ministry in Mariagiri (1994-`95) and Chirattakonam (1995-’98) he was sent to the Pontifical Oriental Institute Rome in the year 1998.  He completed his Doctorate from the Institute in the year 2004.  In the same year he was appointed Official of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome.

- Fr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC
Chancellor

The Eighth Holy Epscopal Synod ended

Elect the Guardians of Democracy and Secularism: Malankara Catholic Synod

The Malankara Catholic Episcopal Synod concluded with a call to the citizens to vote in the next parliamentary elections for a stable government that will protect the secular nature and democratic system of the country. The exercise of the right to vote is the most important obligation in a democratic society.  Exercise it in accordance with one’s conscience.

The Synod hopes that the recent social order and political circumstances would encourage all to take the right decision.  As a minority, the Indian Church is striving for self-protection.  The Synod urged that the proposals of the committee for the revision of law shall not be accepted and the attempt to subvert the value system of the society shall be condemned by all.  In different circumstances the Church in Kerala had to battle for the justice.

Alcohol for sixteen thousand crores of Rupees was sold in Kerala in the last five years.  There is the need of a serious change in policy that encourages income to the public treasury ignoring the ruin of a generation. We need a government that serves the public good.  The darkness that has enveloped all sectors life, especially those of education and labour, due to increasing political interests, has not vanished.  The conscious attempt to devalue the judicial system, in which the people have not still lost faith, is a serious concern.  The Church takes note of the alarming swell in atrocities and law and order problems.  The Synod said that in this special situation, the elected representatives should represent those denied justice and they should be individuals of transparent public life.  They should take nepotism, vested interests and corruption as challenges and overcome malice and evil in the society.

The Synod discussed matters of pastoral interest to the Church and took decisions.  The sacrament of matrimony, permanent diaconate, the major seminary formation, the Code of Particular law of the Church were some of the topics covered by the present Synod.  In the Synod presided over by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos were present Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos and Bishops Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom, Joshua Mar Ignathios, Abraham Mar Julios, Geevarghese Mar Timotheos, Joseph Mar Thomas and Jacob Mar Barnabas.

New Church Blessed at Ektanagar, Akurdi Chinchwad, Pune

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos blessed the newly constructed church of the St. Thomas Malankara Catholic Community at Chinchwad of Pune Region in the presence of His Excellency Jacob Mar Barnabas, on Wednesday 25 February. It is the seventh parish community in Pune to have its own church. The function started at 4.00pm with a colourful reception to the dignitaries. It was followed by the blessing ceremony and felicitation meeting. During the felicitation meeting, the Pune Malankara Catholic region officially felicitated the Major Archbishop who did his first visit as the Father and Head of the Malankara Catholic Church. Mr. P.V. Thomas, Bar Itho Kashiro (Diligent Son of the Church) is given the official medal by the Catholicos.  It was followed by the Con-celebrated Holy Qurbono presided over by Jacob Mar Barnabas. The programme concluded by public meeting and agape. Rev. Mother Patience SIC (Provincial Muvattupuzha Province), Dr. John Berchumans OIC (the former Co-ordinator ETRI), Rev. Fr. Peter John (Co-ordinator ETRI Southern Region) and  V. A. George (Trustee, MCA) delivered felicitation speeches. Many priests, religious, Rev. brothers and faithful were present during the ceremonies. Rev. Fr. Benedict OIC (Parish Priest), K. G. Samuel (Trustee) and M. M. Mathew (Secretary) gave leadership to the programme.