Paulose Mar Athanasius

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Consecrated as Metropolitan for the Angamali diocese in 1910 by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Abded Aloho (Abdulla II), he became the Malankara Metropolitan of the Jacobite Syrian Church in 1918, until his death on 25 January 1953 at the age of 84.

Fifty one years after his death, on 19 August 2004, the Church beatified Mor Athanasius Paulose.

Childhood

His English education was at the Alwaye Government High School. Soon he was sent to the Syrian seminary at Kottayam where he was under the direct care of Pulikottil Joseph Mor Divanasios (Mor Dionysius V). By the time he completed the seminary course, he passed the matriculation exam from the C.M.S. School at Kottayam as well. Shortly thereafter he was appointed a teacher (‘Malfono’) in the seminary, where he continued till 1895. He fell seriously ill with typhoid, and returned home, where he became critically ill, but recovered and returned to Thrikkunnathu. Later the diocesan Metropolitan Kadavil Paulose Mor Athanasious Thirumeni entrusted him with the responsibility of supervising the construction works of the St. Mary's church there.

Ordination as priest and 'ramban'

On 25 November 1898, at the age of 29, deacon Paulose was ordained 'Kassisso' (Full Priest) by St. Gregorios Geevarghese (Parumala Thirumeni) and after three days, on 28th, he was elevated to the order of monk ('Ramban'), again by Mor Gregorios, assisted by Metropolitans Mor Divanasios Pulikottil and Mor Athanasious Kadavil. Since then he came to be called KOCHU PAULOSE RAMBAN.

Thrikkunnathu seminary and Kochu Paulose Ramban

It remained as the ‘heart’ of the Malankara Church for several more years. Many of our spiritual heads of yesteryears, the late lamented Metropolitans Mor Gregorios (Vayaliparambil), Mor Sevarios (Mulayirickal), the Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Paulose II, the former Valiya Metropolitha of Knanaya diocese Mor Clemis Abraham were all students of this seminary.

Patriarch Mor Ignatius Abdulla II (Abded'Aloho) in Malankara

When Mor Athanasious died in 1907, there were only two Metropolitans remaining in Malankara, Pulikkottil Mor Divanasios and Murimattom Mor Ivanios, both of whom were very old. They appealed to the Patriarch to consecrate more Metropolitans. He approved their appeal, and on 31 May 1908 Kochuparambil Paulose Ramban and Vattasseril Geevarghese Kathanar were consecrated Metropolitans by names Mor Koorilos and Mor Divanasios by the Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Abdulla II at the St.Mark's Syrian Orthodox Monastery, Jerusalem, as Metropolitans for ‘theebel’ (general). The delegation that went for the ordination had then, on behalf of Malankara Syrian Church, officially submitted the request to the Patriarch for his apostolic visit to Malankara.

Following this the Jacobite Syrian Church removed Mor Dionysius from the trusteeship and in his place elected Kochuparambil Paulose Mor Koorilos as the Malankara Metropolitan. He fell sick, and eventually moved to the nearby Panampady Church. His health deteriorated further; he died on December 14, 1917, and was entombed at Panampady St. Mary's Church near Kottayam.

Metropolitan Consecration

On 9 June 1910 Kochu Paulose Ramban was raised to high priesthood with the name 'Mor Athanasious Paulose' at his home parish, the Mor Sabor and Mor Afroth church, Akaparambu. The visiting Patriarch of Antioch & All the East and the Supreme head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, Moran Mor Ignatius Abded’ Aloho (Abdulla II) led the metropolitan ordination ceremony. The very next year on 19 August 1911, when the Patriarch consecrated HOLY MUROON at the Mulanthuruthy Mar Thoman church.

On 14 October 1911, the Patriarch left Kerala. Valiya Thirumeni (Mor Athanasious), the Antiochean delegate Mor Osthatheos Sleeba and Malankara Malpan Konatt Mathen Corepiscopa escorted him to Mumbai.

As the Metropolitan of Angamali (which is still the largest among all the dioceses in Malankara), Mor Athanasious was then administering the diocese, staying at the partially completed Thrikkunnathu Seminary building. He was also at that time holding the additional charge of the diocese of Kochi.

Malankara Metropolitan

On 6 May 1922 a special convention of the students' organization of the Jacobite Syrian Church was convened at the Cheruthottukunnel St. George Church of Angamaly diocese, again under the initiative of our Valiya Thirumeni. In the meeting Thirumeni proposed the organization be named after his spiritual mentor, St. Gregorios Geevarghese of Parumala. Thus the students wing of the Jacobite Syrian Church came to be known as 'Mar Gregorios Syrian Vidhyarthi Sangam' (Mar Gregorios Syrian Students Association - M.G.S.S.A). This was the first students' organization that adopted the name of St. Gregorios of Parumala. Now it functions as MGJSM.

The other major spiritual organizations founded by Valiya Thirumeni were the ‘Brotherhood of St. Antonios’ and the ‘St. Mary’s Sisterhood’. He nurtured both the organizations with the aim of building a sound base for the monastic movement in Malankara. He also encouraged much on the development of a centre for theological studies at Thrikkunnathu.

On 19 March 1930 the apostolic delegate Saint Osthatheos Sleebadied and was buried at the Arthat St. Mary's Syrian Simhasana church. Mor Athanasious Thirumeni, Apostolic delegate Mor Yulios Elias Qoro, and other Metropolitans of Malankara Church led the funeral services of Mor Osthatheos Bava.

Apostolic visit of Ignatius Elias III to Malankara

In 1931 Patriarch Mor Ignatius Elias III visited India to strive for peace in the Malankara Syrian church. Mor Athanasious, Metropolitan of the Malankara Church, accompanied Elias throughout the apostolic visit and participated in the discussions. Several meetings were held within this period with the aim of achieving a long-standing peace, and the Moran Patriarch lifted the excommunication of Mor Divanasios Vattasseril. On 13 February 1932 the visiting Patriarch St. Elias III died before accomplishing his peace mission, and was entombed at the Manjinikkara Dayro. Malankara Metropolitan Mor Athanasious Paulose led the last ceremonial rites of the holy Patriarch along with the Patriarchal delegate and all the Metropolitans of the Malankara Church.

Malankara Association of 1935

On 22 August 1935 an historic Malankara Association was held at the Karingachira St.George church which once again unanimously elected Mor Athanasious Thirumeni as the Malankara Metropolitan and Metropolitan Trustee. The Holy Synod and the convention were also attended by Mor Dionysius Mikhail of Kottayam, Niranam, Thumpamon and Quilon dioceses, Mar Thimotheos Awgen of Kandanad (later Catholicos Baselios Augen I) and Mar Dioscoros Thomas of Knanaya dioceses. The Malankara Syrian Christian Association also elected co-trustees for the Church. Kassisso Avira Joseph Pukkunnel was the newly elected priest trustee, and Thukalan Pailo Avira the lay trustee.

'Defender of Faith'

Mor Athanasious Paulose was the Metropolitan of Malankara Church for forty-two years. Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem-I of the Apostolic See of Antioch & All the East gave him with title ‘Defender of True Faith' (Sathya Viswasa Samrakshakan).

Metropolitans ordained during the tenure of Mor Athanasious

The first metropolitan ordination in the Malankara Church after the elevation of Mor Athanasious to high priesthood was of Mor Severious Edavazhikkal, ordained as the first metropolitan of Knanaya diocese in August 1910. It was Patriarch Ignatius Abded Aloho who consecrated him metropolitan. The formation of Knanaya association and other progressive movements in the diocese were initiated by him. In 1926, three more Metropolitans were ordained for the different dioceses in Malankara by the Patriarch Mor Ignatius Elias-III. They were Mor Divanasios Michael for Kottayam, Niranam, Kollam & Thumpamon, Mor Awgen Thimotheos for Kandand and Mor Dioscoros Thomas for Knanaya diocese. Mor Dioscoros later joined the newly formed Syrian Catholic Church after resigning from all the bodies of Knanaya diocese. But what hurt our Athanasious Thirumeni the most was when Mor Awgen Thimotheos of Kandanad diocese, deserted the Holy Church in 1942, creating lot of troubles. This was a time when the church was crippled in a series of crisis. Following the defection, the Patriarch appointed Mor Athanasious Thirumeni as the diocesan metropolitan.

With the advancement of age Valiya Thirumeni found it extremely difficult to manage the affairs of all the dioceses and hence requested the Church to elect new Metropolitans for the dioceses. Consequent to this in 1945 the diocesan bodies of Angamali and Kochi met at Thrikkunnathu and Karingachira respectively and elected Fr. Geevarghese Vayaliparambil and Ramban Paulose Mulayirickal. The next year they were consecrated bishops by names Mor Geevarghese Gregorios and Mor Severious Paulose by H.H. Patriarch Aphrem-I at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Homs, Syria. Among the newly ordained Metropolitans, Mor Gregorios was to assist Valiya Thirumeni in the Angamali diocese and Mor Severious was ordained for the Kochi diocese.

In 1951 the Knanaya diocese received its third Metropolitan, with the ordination of Abraham Mor Clemis by Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem-I. In 1952 Paulose Mor Philoxenos was ordained for the diocese of Kandanad. He assumed the charge of the diocese just two weeks before the demise of Valiya Thirumeni. In 1974 Mor Philoxenos was enthroned as the Catholicos of the East and the head of the Malankara Syrians in 1974 by name Mor Baselios Paulose-II.

Death

Mor Athanasius Valiya Thirumeni died on 25 January 1953 at the age of 84. The next day he was buried at the northern side of the madbho of the St. Mary's church at Thrikkunnathu, Alwaye.

Mor Athanasious Valiya Thirumeni

Once a lady who was suffering from haemorrhage for several years and had spent a lot of money on medical treatments, approached Thirumeni who prayed for her and she was healed of the disease. Another event is the claimed miraculous recovery of a man called Varkey who was claimed to be suffering from evil spirit for twenty years. This mentally ill fellow was cured immediately after Thirumeni placed his Sleeba (Cross) on his forehead and prayed.

Mor Athanasious College of Engineering at Kothamangalam, Mor Athanasious High School at Nedumbassery, Mor Athanasious English Medium School at Puthencuriz, are named for him. The sandalwood cot presented to Thirumeni by his uncle is kept in a separate room of the office of his home parish, the Mor Sabor Mor Aphroth Church at Akaparambu. In 2006 the St. Athanasious Cathedral was founded at the church headquarters in Puthencuriz.

The year 2003 being the 50th anniversary of Mor Athanasious's death, the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church organized several functions. The commemoration ceremonies that continued throughout the year, coincided with Parumala Thirumeni's 100th Dhukrono celebrations organized by the Holy Church in 2002. Celebration of Holy Qurbono on the 50th Dhukrono of Valiya Thirumeni was presided over by Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I and assisted by all the prelates of the Malankara Church at the Jacobite Syrian Chapel, Alwaye on 26 January 2003.

Beatification

On 18 September 2009 the Patriarch signed the bull, No.152/2009, dt. 18 September 2009, permitting to recite the name of St. Athanasious Paulose, in the 5th Tubden and henceforth Athanasious's name started to be remembered in all the Malankara Jacobite Syrian churches worldwide after the names of St. Gregorios Abdul Jaleel and St. Osthatheos Sleeba. The bull was read at the Kothamangalam Mar Thoma Church on 2 October 2009 during the 324th memorial feast of Maphryono St. Baselios Yeldho in the presence of the Catholicos, the visiting Archbishop Mor Timotheos Mousa Al Shamani of Nineveh & the abbot of Mor Mattai Dayro, Mosul, Iraq and all the Metropolitans of Malankara Syrian Church.