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Prayerful
Congratulations
to
His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos
First Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of India |
Cardinal Oswald Gracias Elected the New CBCI President
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Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay was elected
the new President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI)
the world’s fourth largest bishops’ conference. His Beatitude
Moran Mor Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholicos the Major Archbishop of Syro-Malankara
Catholic Church and Mar George Punnakottil, the Bishop of Kothamangalam
Syro-Malabar diocese, were elected the first and second Vice Presidents
respectively. Archbishop Albert D’Souza of Agra was elected as the
new Secretary General of the CBCI for next two years. The Secretary General
of the Bishops’ Conference is the chief functionary and as such
he deals with the most important matters that come under the purview of
the Conference.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias served as the Secretary General
as well as the Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
and currently the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
(CCBI), belonging to the bishops of Latin rite, which is one of the three
Episcopal bodies of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. He is
a consulter to the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative
Texts. His Beatitude Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholicos was also served the
CBCI as its Vice President.
Cardinal Oswald expressed his gratitude to the bishops
for placing their trust in him and assured them that he would continue
the good work of his predecessors for the whole Catholic Church in the
country. The outgoing President of CBCI Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major
Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly
who was unable to attend the Plenary Assembly of Bishops thanked the religious
heads of the Catholic Church for their cooperation and support to him
for the last two years as President of CBCI.
The new office bearers were elected by the 29th General
Body Meeting of the CBCI in the north eastern city of Guwahati, the capital
of Assam state, at Don Bosco Institute, Kharguli, on the banks of the
mighty Brahmaputra river. One hundred and forty five member bishops of
CBCI took part in the election of new office bearers. The office bearers
of the CBCI consist of President, 2 Vice Presidents and Secretary General.
At every biennial General Body Meeting of the Bishops new officer bearers
are elected to guide the apex body of the Catholic Church in India.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) is the
permanent association of the Catholic Bishops of India. It was formally
constituted in September 1944 at the Conference of Metropolitans held
in Madras. Its objectives are to facilitate coordinated study and discussion
of questions affecting the Church, and adoption of a common policy and
effective action in all matters concerning the interests of the Church
in India. The CBCI has 228 member Bishops from the Latin, Syro-Malabar
and the Syro-Malankara ecclesial traditions. Among these are 158 heads
of dioceses of whom 3 are Cardinals, 27 Archbishops and 51 Retired Bishops.
2 March 2010, Kochi, Kerala, India: |
Rev. Fr.
Chuttivattom Geevarghese Passed Away...
The senior most priest of the Syro-Malankara
Catholic Church,
Rev. Fr. Chuttivattom Geevarghese(103) is called to eternal
rest on 19 February 2010.
Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Kamukumpalli (later on he is known as Chuttivattom)
was ordained
in the Jacobite Church in 1935. In 1962, together with his family, he
re-united with
the Catholic Church. Then he served in many parishes in and around Konni
and Koodal
of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum. His wife Mrs. Sosamma Kollakadavu
Idayilaveettil
died early. After many years of zealous priestly ministry Fr. Chuttivattom
had been taking rest
at his home at Koodal. The death of this senior priest is a great lost
to the Syro-Malankara
Catholic Church and particularly to the Major Archeparchy of Trivandrum.
Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos officiated the funeral service
at 2pm
on Sunday 21 February, 2010 at Koodal. .
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Four
New Bishops and Two New Eparchies
for
the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
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His Beatitude
Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop with the
consent of the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
and having consulted the Apostolic See of Rome, has created two
new Eparchies in the Church. They are Pathanamthitta
in Kerala and Puthur in the State of Karnataka. Having
been elected by the Holy Episcopal Synod, four new Bishops also have
been appointed by him for the Church with the approval of His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI. He has announced the transfer of Most
Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom, the present Bishop of Marthandom
to the new See of Pathanamthitta and Most Rev.
Geevarghese Mar Divannasios from the See of Bathery to the new
See of Puthur. Most Rev. Joseph Mar Thomas,
the Apostolic Visitator to North America and Europe is appointed Bishop
of Bathery. To the See of Marthandom, falling vacant due the transfer
of its present Bishop is appointed Very Rev. Fr.
Vincent Kulapuravilai, the Professor and Registrar of St. Mary’s
Malankara Seminary Trivandrum. Very Rev.
Dr. Samuel Kattukallil, the Syncellus of the Major Archieparchy
of Trivandrum and Very Rev. Dr. Stephen Thottathil,
Dean of the Faculty of Theology of St. Mary’s Malankara Seminary
are appointed Auxiliary Bishops of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum
and the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla respectively. Very
Rev. Dr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC, the Postulator of the Cause
of Canonisation of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the Chancellor
of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is appointed the Bishop of the Curia.
The announcement
was simultaneously made in Rome at 12 noon local time and in Trivandrum,
the headquarters of the Syro-Malankara Church and at other Eparchial
centres at 4.30 p.m. IST. In Trivandrum His Beatitude Moran
Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos made the announcement at St. Mary’s
Cathedral in the presence of Bishops and a large number of Priests,
Religious and Faithful of the Church. The Bishops of the Church
invested the Bishops Designates with Episcopal insignia and congratulated
them.
25 Jan, 2010
Pattom
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THE
EPARCHIES
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The Eparchy of Pathanamthitta
is created bifurcating the present Major Archipearchy of Trivandrum.
Its territory consists of the four ecclesiastical districts - Pathanamthitta,
Konni, Ranni-Perunadu, Pandalam and the parishes of Anandapally, Angadickal,
Chandanapally, Pongalady and Thatta of the ecclesiastical district of
Adoor. This Eparchy is spread over a territory of 2100 Km2 with
a total population of 1234016 of citizens. The Cathedral of the
New Eparchy will be St. Peter’s Church Pathanamthitta.
The Eparchy of Puthur,
is created consisting of the northern part of the Eparchy of Bathery.
The territory of the Eparchy comprises of the civil districts of Dakshina
Kannada, Chamrajnagar, Chickmagalur, Hassan, Kodagu, Mandya, Mysore,
Shimoga and Udupi of the Karnataka State. The Eparchy extends
over an area of 51950 Km2 with a population of 13000000 citizens.
The Eparchy has 21 parishes. There are 6 Eparchial Priests.
There are also 6 Religious Priests and 21 women Religious working in
the Eparchy. There are 36 educational and 4 charitable institutions.
The Cathedral of the Eparchy will be St. Joseph’s Church, Puthur.
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NEW
REMBANS |
Rt. Rev. Kulapuravilai Vincent Remban |
Rt.
Rev. Kulapuravilai Vincent Remban, born on
20 February 1964 hails from Kumarankudy in the District
of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and belongs to the Eparchy
of Marthandom. His parents are Kochupillai and
Maria Thangam. After completing Higher Secondary
Education at Yettacode, he joined the St. Aloysius
Minor Seminary Trivandrum. He took his bachelor’s
degree in Philosophy from St. Mary’s Malankara
Seminary and degree in Theology from St. Thomas Apostolic
Seminary, Kottayam. He was ordained Priest at
his home parish Annakarai on 2 January 1991 by Most
Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios. He did his Master’s
Degree in History and professionally qualified himself
with B. Ed. He obtained a doctorate in Dogmatic
Theology from Rome. He served the Eparchy of
Marthandom in various capacities like Parish Priest,
Protopresbyter, Correspondent of MSC schools, Member
of Education Board, Director of Children for Unity
and Member of the Commission for Liturgy. Presently
he is Professor and Registrar of St. Mary’s
Malankara Seminary. Besides English and Tamil,
he knows Malayalam, German, Italian, Spanish and Syriac. |
Rt.
Rev. Kattukallil Samuel Remban born on 13
May 1952 hails from Kadamminitta in Pathanamthitta
District of Kerala, India in the Major Archieparchy
of Trivandrum. His parents are late K. C. Thomas
and Annamma. After his High School Education
in Kadammanitta, he joined the St. Aloysius Minor
Seminary Trivandrum. On completing the bachelor’s
degrees in Philosophy and Theology from St. Joseph’s
Pontifical Seminary Aluva he was ordained priest on
22 December 1978 by Most Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios.
He completed secular degrees of BA, MA, MPhil and
PhD from the University of Kerala. After being
Appointed Lecturer in Mar Ivanios College, he later
served as the Principal of St. John’s College
Anchal and retired as the Principal of Mar Ivanios
College Trivandrum. From 1979 he served several
parishes such as Erathumpamon, Muttathukonam, Pampukala,
Vattakarikkam, Kuttichal, Vengode, Manjakala, Kunnapuzha,
Kalliyal, Thirumala, Chalai, Palayam, Thiruvallam,
Karakulam, Kallayam, Chenckalchoola, Anchal, Thazhamel
and Ozhukuparackal as parish priest. Presently
he is serving as the Syncellus of the Major Archieparchy
of Trivandum. Languages known are Malayalam,
English and Syriac. |
Rt. Rev. Kattukallil Samuel Remban |
Rt.Rev.Thottathil Stephannos Remban |
Rt.Rev.Thottathil
Stephannos Remban, born on 9 May 1952 hails
from Karimpinamkuzhy, Ranni, Kerala, India in the
Archieparchy of Tiruvalla. His parents are Philip
and Mariamma. After High School education in
Ranni he joined the Infant Mary Minor Seminary of
Tiruvalla. He studied at Papal Seminary Pune
and completed bechelor’s degree in Philosophy
and Theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune.
He was ordained priest for the then Eparchy of Tiruvalla
on 27 April 1979 by Most Rev. Isaac Mar Yoohanon.
He also completed his Master’s Degree in Theology
from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune. After a few
years of pastoral experience he did his Doctorate
in Moral Theology at the Academia Alfonsiana Rome.
Besides his ministry as Parish Priest, he served the
Eparchy of Tiruvalla as the Rector of the Minor Seminary,
Director of the Malankara Catholic Youth Movement
andAssociate Administrator and later Director of Pushpagiri
Hospital. He also served the Archieparchy of
Tiruvalla as its Administrator when the See was vacant
in the year 2003. From 2003 to 2006 he was the
Protosyncellus of the Eparchy. Fr. Stephen Thottathil
who was the Rector of the St. Mary’s Malankara
Seminary during years 2000-’03 is presently
serving the same seminary as the Dean of the Faculty
of Theology. Besides Malayalam and English he
knows Italian, German and Syriac. |
Rt.
Rev. Valiyavilayil Antony Remban was born
on 25 November 1955 at Adoor in the District of Pathanamthitta,
Kerala, India. His parents are late C. Koshy
and Kunjamma. After his schooling at Adoor and
Kattanam he joined the Order of the Imitation of Christ
or Bethany Ashram and made his First Profession in
the year 1974. He had his priestly formation
at Bethany Ashram Pune and took the bachelor’s
degrees in Philosophy and Theology from the Jnanadeepa
Vidyapeeth Pune. He was ordained priest on 27
December 1980 by Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios, at
Mar Ivanios Nagar, Kottayam, the venue of the Golden
Jubilee Celebrations of the Reunion Movement initiated
by the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios.
He completed his graduation from the University of
Kerala. From the Pontifical Oriental Institute
Rome he took his Doctorate in Oriental Canon Law.
He was engaged in the ministry of the Bethany Ashram
in various offices such as Master of Pre-Philosophers,
Master of Pre-Novices, Procurator and Rector of Bethany
Ashram Pune. He was the Director of Bethany
Vedvijnana Peeth, Institute of Oriental Thology Pune.
He served the Congregation as a member of General
Council for two consecutive terms. His pastoral
activities in the Church were primarily in the field
of the organization of the Syro-Malankara Catholic
Church in the Extraterritorial Regions in India, especially
in Pune. He also served the Archieparchy of
Tiruvalla as its Judicial Vicar. Presently he
is the Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of
the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the
Chancellor of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia.
Besides Malayalam and English, he speaks Hindi, German
and Italian and knows Syriac. |
Rt. Rev. Valiyavilayil Antony Remban |
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GRADUATION
AND LAMP LIGHTING CEREMONY AT ST. JOSEPH NURSING COLLEGE, ANCHAL
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© Copy Right The
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. All Rights Reserved. |
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