Philipose Mar Chrysostom

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His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Metropolitan, who is commonly addressed and referred to as Chrysostom Thirumeni, Valiya Thirumeni, or Thirumeni, is the current Metropolitan Bishop of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church and consequently occupies the Malankara Throne of St. Thomas. He is the 20th Malankara Metropolitan to occupy the Holy Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas after the re-establishment of the episcopacy in the 17th century (see history of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church).

Chrysostom Thirumeni was born on April 27, 1918 and is the son of Vicar General Very Rev. K.E. Oommen. After graduating from Union Christian College, Alwaye, Kerela, India, he began work in the Ashram in Ankola with Rev. P.J. Thomas. He studied at United Theological College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India and St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury, United Kingdom.

Thirumeni was ordained as Deacon of the Mar Thoma Church on January 1, 1944 and Kasseessa on June 3, 1944. He was ordained as Ramban on May 20, 1953 and consecrated as Episcopa on May 23, 1953 with Rt. Rev. Dr. Alexander Mar Theophilus, Suffragan Metropolitan and the late Rt. Rev. Thomas Mar Athanasius Episcopa. He was designated as Suffragan Metropolitan in May 1978.

On March 15, 1999 Thirumeni became the first and only person to have been designated Officiating Metropolitan after His Grace The Most Rev. Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan stepped aside from the daily administration of the Church due to physical ailments. Chrysostom Thirumeni was installed as Metropolitan on October 23, 1999 after Alexander Mar Thoma was called to his eternal home.

During his ministry, Thirumeni has been in charge of different dioceses in Kerala and was also Missionary Bishop for many years. He was President of the National Christian Council of India and attended the Assembly of World Council of Churches at Evanston in 1954 and at Upsala in 1968. He has been president of the different organizations of the Church and the governing councils of different colleges. He attended the Second Vatican Council and has thus made very valuable contributions to the ecumenical cause. He has deep concern for the upliftment of the backward communities. Through a registered organization named STARD (South Travancore Agency for Rural Development) he has helped economically backward communities of South Travancore to improve their lot and achieve self-reliance.

[edit] See also

Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church commonly referred to as the Mar Thoma Church

[edit] References

"His Grace the Most Rev Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom." Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. 22 June 2006 <http://www.marthomasyrianchurch.org/current_metro.htm>.

Preceded by: Alexander Mar Thoma

Metropolitans of the Mar Thoma Church 1999 – Present

Succeeded by: '