Part-4- A
student guiding a teacher- ‘Mar Philexinos discouraged me from joining the
Roman fold’- Mar Ivanios of Bethany (later Archbishop Mar Ivanios of the Syro
Malankara rite).
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| Funeral photo of Philexinos Thirumeni |
When Mar
Ivanios of Bethany joined the Roman fold, he greatly desired his former student
(Mar Philexinos as deacon KT Geevarghese was the student of Fr PT Geevarghese,
later Mar Ivanios of Bethany) come with him as well and did try various tactics
to convince his pupil. Such exercises remained futile. Once Archbishop Mar
Ivanios came to visit Kochu Thirumeni at Bethel Aramana. Those were also the
times when litigations against Mar Ivanios were ongoing concerning the schools
entrusted to him when he was a bishop of the Orthodox church. Without
exhibiting any iota of anger, Kochu Thirumeni accorded the same reception to Archbishop
Ivanios befitting a bishop. This led to a rumor that Philexinos Thirumeni will
soon join the ‘Reethu’ faction. There was also widespread propaganda spread through
pamphlets that Kochu Thirumeni had already joined the Roman church.
Some church
members of the Thumpamon diocese decided to visit Thirumeni to confirm the
truth. Kochu Thirumeni was the Metropolitan of Thumpamon diocese which was also
once led by St Gregorios of Parumala. Like Parumala Thirumeni, Mar Philexinos
was ordained as a bishop at a young age and since he was youngest among the
lot, he too was fondly addressed as ‘Kochu Thirumeni.
So church
members went to Thirumeni, took the customary blessings from him and asked – “Thirumeni,
we heard some news about you”
Kochu
Thirumeni – “What is that news all about?”
They responded
– “That you are going to join the Reethu faction/Syro-Malankara rite.”
To which
Thirumeni replied- “So you also have heard it.”
Philexinos
Thirumeni called his secretary shemassan (deacon) and asked him to get Thirumeni’s
purse. He took a quarter anna (1 anna was 1/16 INR), and gave it one of the
church members and said to him - “You take the bus from here and get down at Puthencavu
junction. You then proceed to the Kizhakethalekal house whereupon at the
portico you will find an aged priest with white beard sitting on the chair.
You observe
his face well and then come back here to check my face.” (note- The Malayalee community
would understand what the phrase would mean).
Like
Parumala Kochu Thirumeni, Philexinos Kochu Thirumeni deeply loved his Church
and faith. Philexinos Kochu Thirumeni was accorded the title of ‘catholicatinte
Ratnadeepam’ (Catholicate’s Jewel lamp) in 2013.
At an assembly
to commemorate the departure of Philexinos Kochu Thirumeni and offer
condolences in Trivandrum, Archbishop Ivanios who chaired the meeting, offered
the following eulogy:
“Mar
Philexinos life was dedicated to the entire humanity and not just one
community. If he had lived a little more in his earthly life, then many issues
that the Malankara Orthodox church is currently wading through would have seen
a resolution. When I had decided to join the Roman church, Mar Philexinos, who
was a Rembachan (monk-priest) then, deterred me from doing so. That act shows
his Philexinos Thirumeni’s immense love for his church. I have taught him at
Serampore college (Calcutta). Thirumeni’s demise has been a great loss for India-
especially the state of Kerala.”
May Philexinos
Kochu Thirumeni’s prayers help us to love Christ and His Church the way he exhibited
in his earthly journey!
In Christ,
Rincy John
Ref:
1) Puthenkavu
Kochuthirumeni Katholicattinte Karuthanaya Vakthavu, By- Adv. P. C. Mathew
Pulikottil and K. V. Mammen Kottackal, Kottackal Publishers, 2004, pages 134-136
2) Image
courtesy: Kaalam Cheyutha Parishudha Geevarghese Dwidhiyan Catholica Bava
Thirumanassile Janmashathabdhi Smaragu grantham; Malankara Sabha Special, 1973
July edition, Book 28, Issue 9, Pg 36
From
L to R- His Grace Kuriakose Mar Gregorios (of blessed memory)-Pampady
Thirumeni.
St.
Dionysius (Vattasseril), His Holiness Baselios Geevarghese II Catholicos (of
blessed memory) and His Grace Kuriakose Mar Gregorios (of blessed
memory)-Pampady Thirumeni. Mar Ivanios of Bethany (later Archbishop Mar
Ivanios).
3) Funeral
photo of Mar Philexinos Thirumeni taken from Wikipedia.
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