HIERARCHY

OUR PATRIARCH

 

HH IGNATIUS APHREM II

get phentermine online to put a break to your weight gainSince St. Peter has assumed the leadership of the Church and had make use of Antioch as the capital to lead the Church, those who are ordained as Patriarchs by the church to succeed St.Peter are no doubt the successors and emissaries of St.Peter. The divine grace is handed down from Jesus to St.Peter, St.Peter to his successors the Metropolitans to Priests, and from Priests to the laity. Thus in the Syrian Orthodox Church the Patriarch represents the first and the foremost link in respect of the apostolic succession and divine priesthood.

The universal Syrian Orthodox Church perceives its strength and Unity in His Holiness the Patriarch, the supreme head of the Church. As the Sucessor of the St.Peter, His Holiness is the embodiment and symbol of unity of the universal Syrian Orthodox Church. This embodiment signifies two type of representative characters. Firstly, as the successor of St.Peter, the patriarch represent him. As St.Peter is the chief shepherd and supreme head, the Patriarch by virtue of his position upholds the unity of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church. Since the Patrirach's ordination and conornation are deemed to be through the grace of the Holy Ghost and by the will of God, the first representative character is bestowed from above and is divine. So the Patriarch as the high priest the Universal Church, represents Jesus Christ when he celebrates the Holy Eucharist. Secondly the Patriarch as the chief Shepherd of the Church, is the emissary of the entire body of believers. The church is not only an invisible spiritual fellowship but is also a historical reality. So, all the attributes of the Church like one, Holy, Chatholic and Apostolic must also become a historical reality. And the Patriarchs who are ordained from time to time and represent the universal Syrian Church as the Supreme heads, make the unity of the Church a reality.

 
 
 
 

OUR CATHOLICOSE

 

H.B Baselios Thomas I Catholicose

The spiritual head of the Syrian Christians of India, was born in the Cheruvillil family of Vadayambadi, Puthenkuriz to Mathai and Kunjamma on 22nd July 1929. Early part of his life was full of sufferings. Though he belonged to an aristocratic family, by the time he was born the family had seen bad days. As a child he had frequent bouts of illness which affected his education. His mother used to take the young boy frequently to the nearby Malecuriz Dayro where the relics of late Patriarch St. Ignatius Elias III and Saint Gregorios Geevarghese (Parumala Thirumeni) had been interred. One night, as his mother prayed with the young boy on her lap, she had a vision which prompted her to dedicate the boy to the service of the church. Within days, the boy's illness was entirely cured. God was with him, guiding him and shaping him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR METROPOLITAN

 

H.G. Mor Gregorios Joseph

H.G. Mor Gregorios Joseph was born as the youngest of four children to Srambickal Pallathitta Geevarghese and Saramma on 10 Nov 1960 in Perumpally, Mulanthuruthy. He is the Grand child of the cousin of St.Mor Gregorios Geevarghese Chathuruthil. He pursued his primary education at Perumpally Primary School and Mulanthuruthy High School. At a young age of 13 he was ordained deacon by Mor Gregorios Geevarghese at Mor Ignatius Dayro, Manjanikkara on 25 March 1974. Subsequently Dn. Joseph served as the secretary to MorGregorios for a very long period.
Dn. Joseph completed his Pre-degree and Degree courses from Maharajas College, Ernakulam and joined for his theological studies at MorJulios Seminary, Perumpally. Later, MorBaseliosPaulose II, Catholicose of the East ordained Dn.Joseph Kassiso at Marthoman Church, Mulanthuruthy on 25 March 1984.V.Fr.Joseph joined the University of Dublin, Ireland for his Masters in Philosophy and left for USA for higher studies in Theology. While in USA, he served as the vicar of many churches. He served as the vicar of St.Thomas Syrian Orthodox Church, London for four years during his studies in England. Due to old age, the then Metropolitan of Cochin Diocese Mor Osthatheos Thomas retired from his temporal duties of serving the diocese. Fr. Joseph was ordained Ramban by H.H Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch at Damascus on 14 January 1994. On 16 January 1994, Rev. Joseph Ramban was consecrated Metropolitan by the name Mor Gregorios Joseph by H.H Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas, Patriarch of Antioch at Damascus. Mor Gregorios Joseph assumed the office of the Metropolitan of Cochin Diocese on January 23, 1994 at Kyomtha Cathedral, Thiruvankulam.
Mor Gregorios currently serves as the secretary to the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Church in India and the Manager of the colleges under the Educational Trust of the church.