His Grace Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos II Malankara Metropolitan and Thozhiyoor Metropolitan | |
|---|---|
| 11th Malankara Metropolitan and 5th Metropolitan of Thozhiyoor | |
| Native name | Kidangan Geevarghese |
| Church | Malabar Independent Syrian Church |
| Installed | 1812 |
| Term ended | 1829 |
| Predecessor | Mar Dionysius II Sacharias Mar Philoxenos I |
| Successor | Mar Dionysius III (interim 1816-1817) Mar Dionysius IV Mar Koorilose III |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1812 by Sacharias Mar Philoxenos I |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 7 February 1829 |
Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos II (born Kidangan Geevarghese; died 1829) was the Metropolitan of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church (Thozhiyur Church) from 1811 to 1829, and the 11th Malankara Metropolitan.[1][2]
Early life and priesthood[edit | edit source]
Geevarghese was from the Kidangan family of Kunnamkulam.[3]
He served as vicar of the Arthat Church (Chattukulangara) in the Malankara Church.[4]
In 1812, he was consecrated as a bishop with the title Philoxenos by Sacharias Mar Philoxenos I.[5]
As Malankara Metropolitan[edit | edit source]
In 1816, during the time of Mar Thoma IX, amid disputes in the Malankara Church, Mar Philoxenos II consecrated Pulikkottil Ittoop Ramban as Mar Dionysius II at Pazhanji Church.[6]
Following the death of Mar Dionysius II in 1816, contemporary missionary records refer to a bishop considered for leadership in the Malankara Church.[7]
Thomas Norton, a missionary of the Church Missionary Society, wrote:
You will regret to hear, that the good old Metropolitan is dead. He died on Sunday, the 24th of November. I trust he has exchanged an earthly for a heavenly crown. He had been very ill for a long time; but was, to all appearance, recovering: his death, therefore, was rather sudden.
You will naturally be anxious to know who is to be his successor. The Resident, I am happy to say, has been most active on the occasion. He has been looking out for a man of true piety, as well as of talents, for that important office; and such an one, I hope, he has found. He is a Bishop, but has at present no jurisdiction: he has for some time lived a retired life, near Calicut.
The Syrians speak of him as such. Nearly all the Casanars are well affected toward him, and wish to have him over them. I have seen several of them, and they all speak of him in the highest terms. One of them, a man of much prayer, told me, 'He is a man of much prayer, and fears God.' From what I have heard, I should think him worthy of the station. He is very reluctant to leave his retired life, to which he had for some time devoted himself; and has written to the Resident to that effect: but I hope he will be persuaded to accept the office, for the real good of his Church.
If he should be the man, I shall expect great things. My heart is quite encouraged. I cannot but think that God is about to effect a change in the state of these people, by bringing in a man, as their leader and ruler, whom he will endow with much of His Spirit.
— Thomas Norton, CMS Missionary, The Missionary Register for 1818, p. 103.
Following deliberations at a synod, a royal proclamation dated 26 December 1816 (26 Dhanu 992 M.E.) confirmed his position as Malankara Metropolitan.[8]
In 1817, Mar Philoxenos II consecrated Punnathra Geevarghese as Mar Dionysius III at the Kottayam Old Seminary.[9]
In 1825, Mar Philoxenos II consecrated Cheppad Philipose Malpan as Mar Dionysius IV at the Kottayam Old Seminary on 27 August 1825.[10]
Conflict with Mar Athanasios[edit | edit source]
In 1825, Mar Athanasios Abdul Messih, associated with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, arrived in Malankara and opposed the authority of local bishops.[11]
Contemporary and later accounts record disputes between Athanasios and the existing church leadership.[12]
British authorities later intervened in the situation, and Athanasios was deported.[13]
Later life and death[edit | edit source]
Mar Philoxenos II died on 7 February 1829 (27 Makaram 1004 M.E.).[14]
He was buried at the Thozhiyur Church (St. George's Cathedral).[15]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Mackenzie, Gordon Thomson (1901). Christianity in Travancore. Printed at Travancore Government Press.
- ↑ The Orthodox Church of India. New Delhi, India: Rachel David / PrintAid. 1986.
- ↑ Varughese, K. C. (1972). Malabar Swathantra Suryani Sabhyude Charitram.
- ↑ Agur, C. M. Church History of Travancore.
- ↑ Agur, C. M. Church History of Travancore.
- ↑ Aiya, V. Nagam (1906). The Travancore State Manual. p. 214.
- ↑ The Missionary Register for 1818. 1818. p. 103.
- ↑ Kulakkatt, Augustine J. (2002). Trade, Politics and Religion: The Religious Policy of the English East India Company (1757–1857).
- ↑ Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan. Christianity in India and the Mar Thoma Church.
- ↑ Journal of Indian History. 1949.
- ↑ Swanston, C. (1835). "A Memoir of the Primitive Church of Malayala". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.
- ↑ Cheriyan, P. (1935). The Malabar Christians and the Church Missionary Society.
- ↑ Seminary Case Book. Vol. Part 2. p. 232.
- ↑ Ittup Writer (1906). Malayalathulla Suriyani Kristianikalude Charitram. pp. 174–175.
- ↑ Juhanon Thoma, Metropolitan of Mar Thoma Syrian Church (2010). A study book for first communicants.
- Ittup Writer (1906). Malayalathulla Suriyani Kristianikalude Charitram [History of the Syrian Church of Malabar]. pp. 174–175.
- Howard, G. B. (1864). The Christians of St. Thomas and Their Liturgies. London: Oxford and Cambridge. p. 64.
- Varughese, K. C. (1972). Malabar Swathantra Suryani Sabhyude Charitram [History of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church].
- Kochumon, M. P. (1995). Parisuddha Kattumangatte Bavamar [The Saintly Bishops of Kattumangattu]. Most Rev. Joseph Mar Koorilose Metropolitan.
- Porkulam, A. K. C. (2003). Parisudha Kattumangatte Bavamar Thiruvachanathiludey [St. Kattumangattu Bishops through the Bible]. Thrissur.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
- Cheriyan, P. (1935). The Malabar Christians and the Church Missionary Society.
- Swanston, C. (1835). "A Memoir of the Primitive Church of Malayala". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.
- Seminary Case Book. Vol. Part 2. p. 232.
- "Chapter 10: The Golden Age". The Forgotten Bishops: The Malabar Independent Syrian Church.