Rev. Sr. Mary Louis SIC was called to eternal rest

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Rev. Sr. Mary Louis SIC was called to eternal rest

Rev. Sr. Mary Louis SIC of Tiruvalla Province of the Congregation for Sisters of Imitation of Christ was called to eternal rest on 7 January 2013. She was 79 years old. She belonged to Charivupurayidathil, family Ranny. She served as teacher in various schools such as Chengaroor, Kunnamkulam, Mannar, Thirumoolapuram and Kolenchery. Funeral service was held at Thirumoolapuram Bethany Convent at 2 pm on 8 January 2013. His Grace Most Rev. Thomas Mar Koorilos officiated the funeral service.

May her soul rest in Peace!

Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Perumala was called to eternal rest

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Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Perumala was called to eternal rest

Rev. Fr.  Geevarghese Perumala a senior priest of the  Eparchy of Pathanamthitta of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, was called to eternal rest on  31 December  2012. He was 72 years old. He is a member of Chandanappally-Angadical Parish. He was ordained priest on 3 December 1966. He served as parish priest in various parishes such as Marthandom, Balaramapuram, Manjumala, Kollam, Kizhakketheruvu, Puthoor, Vandanoor, Puliyoor, Koodal, and Vallikode. He was the Finance Officer of the undivided Archieparchy of Thiruvananthapuram from 1973 to 1981. He served as the Director of Catechisam of the Archieparchy of Thiruvananthapuram from 1988 to 1992. The funeral ceremony will be held at St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Angadical at 3 p.m. on Friday 4 January 2013. His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos will officiate the funeral ceremony. May His soul rest in peace.

UAE Celebrates Malankara Dhinam on 28th December 2012

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UAE Celebrates Malankara Dhinam on 28th December 2012

The sixth Malankara Dhinam of the UAE Malankara Community was held at St.Francis D’Assisi Church, Jebel Ali on 28th December 2012. Rev.Fr.Mathew Kandathil welcomed the chief guests and the gathering. The public meeting was inaugurated and benedictory address was delivered by H.E. Dr.Vincent Mar Paulose. Mr.Biren Philip, the President of UAE Central Committee delivered Presidential Address. The felicitation speech was delivered by Mr. V.S. Varghese and Mr.George Onakkoor. The public meeting was ended with the vote of thanks by Mr.Biju Parappuram, Secretary of the UAE Central Committee. The malankarites from different emirates staged different cultural programmes.The Holy Mass was celebrated by H.E. Dr. Vincent Mar Paulose. The celebration of the day ended with lunch.

Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios elected the Social Harmony and Vigilance Chairman

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Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios elected the Social Harmony and Vigilance Chairman

His Excellency Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios, Bishop of Eparchy of Mavelikara, was elected as the Chairman of  Social Harmony and Vigilance Commission of KCBC. The appointment is in the retirement vacancy of Bishop Mar Thomas Chakkiyath. The Election took place in the meeting of KCBC which concluded yesterday at POC.

Civic Reception to His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis

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Civic Reception to His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis

The Father and Head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, who has been created a Cardinal recently was given a civic reception at Senate Hall by the Trivandrum City Corporation on 10 December 2012. The programme began with a public reception to the New Cardinal from University college to Senate Hall. The felicitation programme began with the prayer song by Sri. Kavalam Sreekumar. Sri. Oommen Chandy, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala inaugurated the public meeting which was presided over by Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan, the State Secretary of CPI (M). Sri. V.S. Achuthanandan, the leader of Opposition delivered the keynote address. Adv. K. Chandrika, the Mayor of Trivandrum, Sri. G. Karthikeyan, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Sri. P. K. Kunjalikutty, Minister of Industries, Sri. K.M. Mani, Minister of Revenue, Sri. V.S. Sivakumar, Minister of Health, Dr. ONV Kurup, Sri. Raja  Gopal (National leader, BJP), Jamaludine Mankada (Imam, Palayam), Msgr. Eugine Pereira, Swami Sukshmananda, Sri. Sivankutty MLA, Sri. Palode Ravi MLA, Sri. M. Vijayakumar and Sri. G. Happikumar felicitated the Cardinal-Catholicos. His Beatitude replied with words of gratitude. Many dignitaries attended the programme.

Pastoral Course – 2012 concluded

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Pastoral Course – 2012 concluded

The Pastoral Course for the Deacons and New Priests of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church concluded at 12.30 p.m. on 6 December 2012.

His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos celebrated Holy Qurbono at 6.30 a.m. on 03 December 2012 and gave the message on “Priesthood and dialogue with Religions and Cultures”. His Excellencies Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom and Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios celebrated Holy Qurbono on 04 & 05 December respectively and gave messages to the participants. His Excellency Thomas Mar Anthonios OIC, (Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios) with the participants of the course celebrated Holy Qurbono at the Tomb of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the other venerable prelates of the Church, on the concluding day. His Excellency invited the participants to take to their hearts the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and to encourage the Faithful of our Church to imbibe the blessings of intercession to the Servant of God. His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Vincent Mar Paulos, Bishop of Marthandom took class on the Fellowship of Clergy.

Rt. Rev. Msgr.Jose Chamakalayil (Proto-syncellus, Eparchy of Pathanamthitta), Rev. Dr. Antony Kakkanatt (General Secretary of the Suvishesha Sangam),Very Rev. Dr. John Kochuthundil (Rector, St. Mary’s Malankara Major Seminary), Very Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Kuttiyil OIC (Assistant Provincial Superior of the Bethany Navajeevan Province), Rev. Fr. Thomas Mukalumpurath (Director, Faith formation),Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Poovathumtharayil (Rector, St. Aloysius Minor Seminary, Trivandrum) Very Rev. Fr. John Areeckal (Director, Dalit Apostolate), Very Rev. Sr. Dr. Ardra SIC (Provincial Superior, SIC Trivandrum), Adv. Johnson Abraham (KPCC Joint Secretary), Prof. Abraham George, Prof. Thomaskutty Panachakkel, Prof. Abraham Joseph (Mar Ivanios College, Nalanchira), Prof. K.V. Thomaskutty (Principal, St. John’s College, Anchal) Mr. Jacob Punakulam (Animator, MCCL,Archieparchy of Tiruvalla), Mr. Eji Parappattu (President, MCYM), Prof. Jacob M. Abraham (Former President M C A), Prof. Jacob V. J. Prof. Pushpa Augustine, Prof. Shyla Joseph and Mr. Paulose Bar Itho Kashiro took classes on various subjects.

Course Certificate was issued to each participant at the valedictory function.

Pastoral Course – 2012 inaugurated

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Pastoral Course – 2012 inaugurated

Pastoral Course for the Deacons and New Priests of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church started at the Catholicate Centre, Pattom at 6 p.m on 2 December 2012. The course was inaugurated by His Excellency Most Rev. Thomas Mar Anthonios OIC, Curia Bishop and Chancellor of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

The purpose of this Course is to enlighten the new pastors of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church with a comprehensive vision of the various pastoral ministries within the Church. The course will be exponential and participatory in its content and style. During these days, we envisage sharing the vision, the methods, the prospects and challenges the Syro-Malankara Catholic pastors face in the various fields. More than theoretical aspects, we wish to focus on the practical dimension of our apostolate. Each session will have an input by an equal amount of time for discussion and sharing by the participants along with the resource persons.

9 newly ordained priests from Bethany Ashram, 5 Deacons from the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum, 3 from the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla, one from the Eparchy of Bathery, 2 from the Eparchy of Mavelikara, one from the Eparchy of Marthandum, and 4 from the Eparchy of Pathanamthitta are the participants. They studied in various Major Seminaries in India and abroad.

The course will conclude on 6 December 2012.

Thanksgiving Day was observed

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Thanksgiving Day was observed

The entire Syro-Malankara Catholic Church observed 1 December 2012 as a Thanksgiving Day following the Investiture of His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, the Father and Head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church as Cardinal of the Holy Catholic Church by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on 24 November 2012 in Vatican.

His Beatitude, His Grace Most Rev, Salvatore Penacchio, Apostolic Nuncio of India, all the Bishops of the Malankara Catholic Churches and a number of other Bishops from the Syro-Malabar and Latin Catholic churches, Priests, Religious and Faithful gathered at the tomb of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and the other venerable prelates of the Church for Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. It was followed by the liturgical procession from the Tomb Chapel to the temporary Sanctuary made in the Auditorium of St. Mary’s HSS, Pattom. Most Rev. Mar Andrews Thazhath, President of the KCBC and Archbishop of Trichur representing the KCBC and the Syro-Malabar Church preached the homily.

The Holy Qurbono was followed by a public meeting. It started with a prayer song. His Grace Most Rev. Thomas Mar Koorilos (Secretary of the Episcopal Synod and Metroplitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla) made the Welcome Speech. His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias (President of the CBCI, Secretary General of the FABC, and Archbishop of Mumbai), inaugurated the public meeting which was presided over by His Grace Most Rev. Salvatore Penacchio (Apostolic Nuncio of India). His Beatitude was felicitated by His Excellency Joseph Marthoma Metropolitan, His Grace Soosa Pakaiam( President of Kerala Latin Catholic Bishops Council and Archbishop, Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum), Bishop Dharmaraj Rasalam(CSI Bishop of South Kerala Diocese), His Excellency Thomas Mar Timotheos Metropolitan( Jacobite Bishop of Kottayam Diocese), Very Rev. Dr. Jose Mariadas OIC( Superior General of Order of the Imitation of Christ and Representative of the Priests and Religious),Sri. Jacob Punnoose( Representative of Laity), Miss. Shyila Marthandum(Representative of Women)

The book, Daivamahathwavum Manushyananmayum written by His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, was released by His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias and S’himo Namaskarathile Vedokthikal, and another book written by Rev. Fr. S. Kakkanattu, was released by His Beatitude the Catholicos. Then the Cardinal delivered the Reply Speech. The meeting concluded with the Papal Anthem and National Anthem. An agape was arranged for all the participants.

Reception to Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos on his return from Rome

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Reception to Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos on his return from Rome

His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, returned from Rome on 30 November 2012 after his investiture as Cardinal by the Holy Father. He was received at the airport by His Excellencies Most Rev. Thomas Mar Anthonios OIC, Most Rev. Samuel Mar Irenios and Very Rev. Fr. James Paravilayil and other priests and dignitaries at 9.30 a.m. From the airport the Cardinal went to St. Mary’s Cathedral Church, Pattom. Most Rev. Jacob Mar Barnabas and Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Nediyath, Cathedral Vicar garlanded His Beatitude at the entrance of the Tomb Chapel. It was followed by Dhoopaprarthana. His Beatitude imparted apostolic blessings to all gathered in the Chapel.

Pope Benedict celebrates Mass for the feast of Christ the King along with the new Cardinals, including Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos

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Pope Benedict celebrates Mass for the feast of Christ the King along with the new Cardinals, including Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos

Pope Benedict celebrated Mass in St Peter’s Basilica this morning to mark the final Sunday of the liturgical year – the solemnity of Christ the King. Concelebrating with the Pope were the six new cardinals who received their red hats at the consistory on Saturday.

In his homily the Pope told the new cardinals they had the demanding responsibility of making God’s Kingdom known in the world – not a kingdom of political power obtained through weapons and violence, but a kingdom of truth, love and service.The Pope said: “We invoke the kingdom daily in the prayer of the “Our Father” with the words “Thy kingdom come”; in effect we say to Jesus: Lord, make us yours, live in us, gather together a scattered and suffering humanity, so that in you all may be subjected to the Father of mercy and love.”

Below you can find the full text of Pope Benedict’s homily on Sunday morning

Homily of the Holy Father

Holy Mass on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Your Eminences,
Dear Brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, the crowning of the liturgical year, is enriched by our reception into the College of Cardinals of six new members whom, following tradition, I have invited to celebrate the Eucharist with me this morning. I greet each of them most cordially and I thank Cardinal James Michael Harvey for the gracious words which he addressed to me in the name of all. I greet the other Cardinals and Bishops present, as well as the distinguished civil Authorities, Ambassadors, priests, religious and all the faithful, especially those coming from the Dioceses entrusted to the pastoral care of the new Cardinals. In this final Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to celebrate the Lord Jesus as King of the Universe. She calls us to look to the future, or more properly into the depths, to the ultimate goal of history, which will be the definitive and eternal kingdom of Christ. He was with the Father in the beginning, when the world was created, and he will fully manifest his lordship at the end of time, when he will judge all mankind. Today’s three readings speak to us of this kingdom. In the Gospel passage which we have just heard, drawn from the account of Saint John, Jesus appears in humiliating circumstances – he stands accused – before the might of Rome. He had been arrested, insulted, mocked, and now his enemies hope to obtain his condemnation to death by crucifixion. They had presented him to Pilate as one who sought political power, as the self-proclaimed King of the Jews. The Roman procurator conducts his enquiry and asks Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Jn 18:33). In reply to this question, Jesus clarifies the nature of his kingship and his messiahship itself, which is no worldly power but a love which serves. He states that his kingdom is in no way to be confused with a political reign: “My kingship is not of this world … is not from the world” (v. 36).

Jesus clearly had no political ambitions. After the multiplication of the loaves, the people, enthralled by the miracle, wanted to take him away and make him their king, in order to overthrow the power of Rome and thus establish a new political kingdom which would be considered the long-awaited kingdom of God. But Jesus knows that God’s kingdom is of a completely different kind; it is not built on arms and violence. The multiplication of the loaves itself becomes both the sign that he is the Messiah and a watershed in his activity: henceforth the path to the Cross becomes ever clearer; there, in the supreme act of love, the promised kingdom, the kingdom of God, will shine forth. But the crowd does not understand this; they are disappointed and Jesus retires to the mountain to pray in solitude (cf. Jn 6:1-15). In the Passion narrative we see how even the disciples, though they had shared Jesus’ life and listened to his words, were still thinking of a political kingdom, brought about also by force. In Gethsemane, Peter had unsheathed his sword and began to fight, but Jesus stopped him (cf. Jn 18:10-11). He does not wish to be defended by arms, but to accomplish the Father’s will to the end, and to establish his kingdom not by armed conflict, but by the apparent weakness of life-giving love. The kingdom of God is a kingdom utterly different from earthly kingdoms. That is why, faced with a defenseless weak and humiliated man, as Jesus was, a man of power like Pilate is taken aback; taken aback because he hears of a kingdom and servants. So he asks an apparently odd question: “So you are a king?” What sort of king can such a man as this be? But Jesus answers in the affirmative: “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice” (18:37). Jesus speaks of kings and kingship, yet he is not referring to power but to truth. Pilate fails to understand: can there be a power not obtained by human means? A power which does not respond to the logic of domination and force? Jesus came to reveal and bring a new kingship, that of God; he came to bear witness to the truth of a God who is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8,16), who wants to establish a kingdom of justice, love and peace (cf. Preface). Whoever is open to love hears this testimony and accepts it with faith, to enter the kingdom of God.

We find this same perspective in the first reading we heard. The prophet Daniel foretells the power of a mysterious personage set between heaven and earth: “Behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (7:13-14). These words present a king who reigns from sea to sea, to the very ends of the earth, possessed of an absolute power which will never be destroyed. This vision of the prophet, a messianic vision, is made clear and brought to fulfillment in Christ: the power of the true Messiah, the power which will never pass away or be destroyed, is not the power of the kingdoms of the earth which rise and fall, but the power of truth and love. In this way we understand how the kingship proclaimed by Jesus in the parables and openly and explicitly revealed before the Roman procurator, is the kingship of truth, the one which gives all things their light and grandeur. In the second reading, the author of the Book of Revelation states that we too share in Christ’s kingship. In the acclamation addressed “to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”, he declares that Christ “has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (1:5-6). Here too it is clear that we are speaking of a kingdom based on a relationship with God, with truth, and not a political kingdom. By his sacrifice, Jesus has opened for us the path to a profound relationship with God: in him we have become true adopted children and thus sharers in his kingship over the world. To be disciples of Jesus, then, means not letting ourselves be allured by the worldly logic of power, but bringing into the world the light of truth and God’s love. The author of the Book of Revelation broadens his gaze to include Jesus’ second coming to judge mankind and to establish forever his divine kingdom, and he reminds us that conversion, as a response to God’s grace, is the condition for the establishment of this kingdom (cf. 1:7). It is a pressing invitation addressed to each and all: to be converted ever anew to the kingdom of God, to the lordship of God, of Truth, in our lives. We invoke the kingdom daily in the prayer of the “Our Father” with the words “Thy kingdom come”; in effect we say to Jesus: Lord, make us yours, live in us, gather together a scattered and suffering humanity, so that in you all may be subjected to the Father of mercy and love.

To you, dear and venerable Brother Cardinals – I think in particular of those created yesterday – is is entrusted this demanding responsibility: to bear witness to the kingdom of God, to the truth. This means working to bring out ever more clearly the priority of God and his will over the interests of the world and its powers. Become imitators of Jesus, who, before Pilate, in the humiliating scene described by the Gospel, manifested his glory: that of loving to the utmost, giving his own life for those whom he loves. This is the revelation of the kingdom of Jesus. And for this reason, with one heart and one soul, let us pray: Adveniat regnum tuum – Thy kingdom come.

Amen.

 

Source: Vatican Radio

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