Thomas Kuzhinapurath

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Thomas Kuzhinapurath

Born 24 May 1969
Omallur, Kerala, India
Occupation Catholic Priest, writer
Genres Theology, Canon Law, Short Story
Notable work(s) Daiavajanam, Salvific Law
Influences

Thomas John Kuzhinapuath (born May 24, 1969) is an author and priest of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church of India.

Contents

[edit] Writing career

Kuzhinapurath has published articles in both English and Malayalam. He has served as student-chief editor of the philosophical journal, Mathavum Chinthayum. The University of Kerala has selected one of his articles for the pre-degree syllabus. [1].

Kuzhinapurath served as a contributor of Bhasha Thilakam, an anthology of poems and literary essays consisting of poems by Kumaranasan, Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, Vallathol Narayana Menon, G. Sankara Kurup, Edasseri Govindan Nair, Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, Vayalar Ramavarma, O.N.V. Kurup, Sugathakumari, and literary essays by Ullattil Govindhankutti Nair, N.V. Krishna Warrier, M. K. Sanu, Dr. D. Benjamin, Dr. George Onakkur, K.S. Ravikumar, Seeri, Achyuthsankar S. Nair, Kozhikodan, Thomas Kuzhinapurath, Nitya Chaitanya Yati, S. Chandrasekharan Nair (University of Kerala Press, ISBN-81-86397-13-2).[2]

Kuzhinapurath has authored Daivajanam[3] and Salvific Law,[4] each of which has been published in two editions. Daivajanam is a collection of essays in Malyalam on socio-theological issues. His article within the volume argued that the juridical status of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (which was as a Metropolitan) is incompatible with its jurisdictional history.[5] In 2005, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a Major Archiepiscopal Church.[6] Daivajanam was reviewed in various journals,[7] and on the fifth anniverssary of its publication, Daniel Poovannathil published a collection of five studies on Daivajanam in the volume Daivajanapadhanangal.[8]

Fr. Kuzhinapurath presents Daivajanam to the Holy Father Pope John Paul II
Fr. Kuzhinapurath presents Daivajanam to the Holy Father Pope John Paul II

Salvific Law is a doctoral work which studies the concept of law from a sotereological[9] context. In this book Kuzhinapurath establishes that the law of the church should fundamentally aim at the salvation of the soul. The book came to this conclusion after a thorough evaluation of Scripture, the Patristic texts, modern theological writings, and finally the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches (CCEO). Philip Chempakassery has reviewed this book in the following words,

Salvific Law is a precious book on law highlighting the fact that the law has a salvific nature. The author Fr. Thomas Kuzhinapurath, who is a specialist in Oriental Canon Law had his studies in Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome. He publishes his research findings for the degree of Doctorate in Canonical studies in this volume. ...The author has written these pages after a hair-spliting perusal of all that has been written on the subject. This fact is proved by the long bibliography given at the end of the book. ...And he concludes that,"The supreme function of Canon Law is to help the Christian faithful to lead a life, which is oriented towards the ultimate communion with God."[10]

[edit] Early life

Kuzhinapurath was born in 1969 to Pakalomattom Kuzhinapurath John Thomas and Annamma John at Omallur in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. Omallur is a village about 4 km south of the district headquarters Pathanamthitta. Omallur is famous for Vayal vanibham which is an annual cattle fair held in the month of Meenam (Malyalam Year). The religious atmosphere of Omallur contributed to the early spiritual life of Kuzhinapurath. The Rektha Kanda Swamy Temple is a grand temple situated at Omallur and is famous for the annual festival (Utsavam). Manjanikkara Dayara at Omallur is famous for its pilgrimage importance. Every year thousands of pilgrims come on foot to the tomb of the Holy Patriarch of Antioch, Ignatius Elias III at Manjanikkara.

Kuzhinapurath during the period of pastoral training with Fr. Daniel Kadakampallil
Kuzhinapurath during the period of pastoral training with Fr. Daniel Kadakampallil

Kuzhinapurath had his school education in Aryabharati High School, Omallur near Pathanamthitta. The school is under the management of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. In 1984, Kuzhinapurath joined St. Aloysius Seminary, Trivandrum. By this time he had studied for Pre-Degree in the University of Kerala, and he passed the examination in first class. He then joined St. Mary’s Malankara Major Seminary,Trivandrum for his philosophical studies which lasted for three years. As a requirement of the studies he prepared a thesis, Towards the Absolute: A Comparative Study of the Evolutionary Theories of Teilhard de Chardin and Aurobindo. Dr. Thomas Naickamparambil, the director of the thesis qualified it as a "painstaking endeavour". The study of philosophy led Kuzhinapurath to the field of Malayalam fiction. And he wrote and published many short stories in Malyalam. A few of them are: "Vetikkettu", "Anveshanam", "Kelante Arthamkandethal".[11] Along with this Thomas succeeded in taking a bachelor's degree from the University of Kerala.

During his year of pastoral training, Kuzhinapurath was appointed in Archbishop's House, Trivandrum to assist the editorial work of the periodical, Christava Kahalam. During this time he could come closer to the life of the holy prelate, Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios and of Fr. Daniel Kadakampallil. After the successful completion of the pastoral training, Kuzhinapurath joined St. Joseph's Pontifical Institute , Mangalapuzha, Aluva for four years of theological studies. He prepared a theological thesis on the Christology of Karl Rahner under the guidance Dr. George Karakkunnel. By this time Kuzhinapurath had published many theological articles in various journals.[12], and he became the Student-Chief Editor of the philosophico-theological journal Mathavum Chinthayum. In his final year of theological studies he co-edited the book, Viriyunna Navalokam, a scriptural study on the parables of Jesus.

[edit] Priesthood

Kuzhinapurath was ordained a priest for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in 1994 at the age of 25. His first appointment was in St. John's Leprosy Hospital, Pirappancode, Trivandrum where he experienced the miseries of a marginalised section of the society. In 1995 Fr. Kuzhinapurath started the Malankara Catholic Mission Centre at Attingal,Kerala.[13] In 1996, Fr. Kuzhinapurath became the Chancellor of the Archieparchy of Trivandrum, where he assisted with the preparation and publication of the statutes of the Archieparchy of Trivandrum, of the Presbytral Council and of the Pastoral Council. In 1998 Fr. Kuzhinapurath was sent to Rome for higher studies in Oriental Canon Law (CCEO). In the 2000, he registered for Doctoral Research at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome where he studied under guidance of Prof. Dimitri Salachas, an authority in Oriental Canonical Studies. He completed the doctoral research in August of 2002.

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos releases the second edition of Salvific Law by giving the first copy to Dr. Alexander Jacob IPS. May 13, 2008
Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos releases the second edition of Salvific Law by giving the first copy to Dr. Alexander Jacob IPS. May 13, 2008

Fr. Thomas Kuzhinapurath was the contact person of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church for the Great Jubilee 2000 Celebrations in Rome. He had an audience with the Pope John Paul II and presented his book Daivajanam to the Holy Father.[14] During his studies in Rome Fr. Kuzhinapurath went for pastoral work in a parish at Montecchio Emilia in Italy. He could establish the first Malankara Catholic Community in Italy (of Bethany Sisters) there at Montecchio Emilia in 2000.

At present, Fr. Thomas Kuzhinapurath is the Notary of the Major Archiepiscopal Tribunal of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.[15] He is also working as the chaplain of Good Samaritan Home,Trivandrum, a centre which takes care of cancer patients. The centre offers accommodation and care for the patients of Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Trivandrum.

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos released the second edition of Salvific Law by giving the first copy to Dr. Alexander Jacob IPS, the principal of Police Training College and a member of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the presence of Yuhanon Mar Chrysostom, Joshua Mar Ignathios, Abraham Mar Yulios and all the priests of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum on May 13,2008.[16]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The University of Kerala Bhashathilakam, Thiruvananthapuram, India, 1998
  2. ^ The University of Kerala, Bhashathilakam, Thiruvananthapuram, India,1998
  3. ^ Fr. Thomas Kuzhinapurath,Daivajanam, Collection of Essays,ISBN 81-87655-13-5 Carmel Publishing Centre, Trivandrum, India, 1998.
  4. ^ Thomas Kuzhinapurath, Salvific Law , MS Publications, Thiruvananthapuram, India, 2008
  5. ^ Kuzhinapurath, Thomas. "Malankara Katholikka Sabhayute Vyakthithvam" in Daivajanam, 1998, pp. 35-41; See also, Thomas Kuzhinanapurath, "Malankara Catholic Church sui iuris: Juridical Satus and Power of Governance" in www.scribd.com
  6. ^ Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
  7. ^ Dr. Geevarghese Panicker, Aikyadeepam, July 1998, p.34; M. V. Thomas, Deepika, July 26,1998
  8. ^ Daniel Poovannathil, ed. Daivajanapadhanangal. Carmel Publishing Centre, Trivandrum, 2002
  9. ^ Sotereology is the Science which studies salvation
  10. ^ Philip Chempakassery, "Book Review", Aikya Samiksha, 4/2,2007
  11. ^ See, Christava Kahalam, 1987-1990
  12. ^ See, Mathavum Chinthayum, Christava Kahalam, Aikyadeepam, Preshita Keralam 1991-1994
  13. ^ Jose Thaiparambil, Malankara Catholic Church,Attingal: A Memento '97, Trivandrum, 1997
  14. ^ Monsignor Pedro Lopez Quintana, Letter to The Reverend Thomas Kuzhinapurath, The City of Vatican, Secretariate of State/First Section, General Affairs, 2 December 2000 quoted in Daniel Poovannathil, ed Daivajanapadhanangal, Carmel Publishing Centre, Trivandrum, 2002, p.4
  15. ^ Malankara, December, 2007
  16. ^ Malayala Manorama, May 14, 2008; Deepika, May 15, 2008; Mathrubhumi May 15, 2008

[edit] See also

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