Snippets from the life and times of Puthencavu Kochu Thirumeni (commemorating 17th April).

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).

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.

"Quo Vadis, Domine?"; "To be with the leper"- Reflections on the Gospel reading for the second Sunday of the Great Lent (Garbo Sunday).

Glory to the Triune God!

The Holy Gospel reading for the second Sunday of the Great Lent is from the Gospel of St Luke 5:12-16; 4:40-41. We will focus on the Gospel reading related to cleansing of leper.

“And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” (St Luke 5:12-16; NKJV).

The Jewish Rabbis saw leprosy as the external manifestation of an internal spiritual decay and hence focused on a spiritual care than a medical one. In the Hebrew society, leprosy was 'tzaraat' and it encompassed a wide variety of skin diseases also including the now known leprosy/Hansen's disease. One of the earliest mentions of such disease in the Holy Scripture is the affliction of Miriam, Moses's sister. She speaks ill of Moses when he married an Ethiopian wife. This slander and gossip made Miriam to be stricken with illness that leaves her skin flaky white. (The story is in Numbers 12). 

Will we be more careful with our words if we the result of gossip gave us skin deformity? 

In today's times, gossiping and spreading rumours about others is so much so much prevalent that they no longer attract our attention. Gossiping /speaking ill against a person or community leads to making the human (s)- the Lord' creation, to an object of hate, anger and possibly dehumanize them.

We don't like to accept that we indeed have flaws and that we need help. For us, misgivings only exist in others. It is interesting to note that the disease syphilis was called the "French disease" in Italy, Malta, Poland and Germany, and the "Italian disease" in France. The Dutch called it the "Spanish disease", the Russians called it the "Polish disease", and the Turks called it the "Christian disease". These "national" names served to act as the propaganda against the countries seen as their political/national opponents. As stated earlier, it helped to ‘dehumanize’ the ‘other’ people.

We saw it happening earlier and we see it happening now. Genocide and riots start with hate speech fed into the minds for days, months and years. In the time of this Lenten season let us with tears and prayers, seek our Lord's help as we hear racist hate speeches being orchestrated against the marginalized communities.

The prescribed ritual as seen in the book of Numbers and Leviticus is that the leprosy afflicted person was quarantined for some days. In Jewish concept such separation is seen as the time for repentance. After the prescribed period, "the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him" (Leviticus 14:3; NKJV).

As the 'chosen generation, a royal priesthood' (1 Peter 2:9), we are to go out and seek those who are sick (physically and spiritually) and bring them to the Church which the holy fathers have termed as a 'hospital'. In this Lenten season let us reflect how many times have we chosen to condemn a brother rather than help him to repent and come back!

Helping the physically and spiritually sick was a community task. “So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again” (Numbers 12: 15; NKJV) The entire Israelite community waited for Miriam before they could journey again.

Our Orthodox faith teaches us that 'we may be lost alone but are saved together'!

"The Messiah at the Gates of Rome" is a traditional story in the Jewish tradition wherein Rabbi Joshua ben Levi has a vision in which he asks Prophet Elijah "When will the Messiah come?" to which the response is  "The Messiah is at the gates of Rome, sitting among the poor, the sick and wretched/lepers".

The Holy Tradition tells us that St Peter was crucified in Rome. A story goes that he was asked by fellow Christians to leave Rome for safety. While St Peter was escaping, he saw a vision of Christ heading towards Rome. St Peter exclaims "Where are you going Master" (Quo Vadis, Domine). Jesus responds that He is going to Rome to be crucified again since St Peter is running away from martyrdom. St Peter repents and goes back to Rome to fearlessly face the physical death.

Weren’t we all outraged when a wall was built to cover the slums when the POTUS visited our country? Isn’t that the way we are? We hate to admit as ours what is not pleasing to ours and others senses. 

And in such times when we see the Lord walking away from us, we call to him and ask- Quo Vadis, Domine? He will respond- "to the leper and outcasts because you aren’t allowing them in your midst"!

The leper in the Gospel reading might have been forgotten by the people (whereas the healing and caring for the sick was a community calling) and he implores the Lord to make him clean. The Lord wills that the leper is cleansed but also tells to show himself to the priest and make an offering for his cleansing. This passage also expounds on the importance of the sacrament of Holy Confession. If we sincerely repent over our wrongdoings, we are instructed by the Lord to share it with the confession father/priest for getting absolution.

Wishing all a blessed season of fasting and repentance.

In Christ,

Rincy John