Oriental Orthodox Church News

Edited by James Kirby Tomblin

New Malankara Metropolitan for North America

His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I, Patriarch of Antioch consecrated Ramban Yeldho Pathikkal as Metropolitan for the Malankara Archdiocese of North America in the Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul at the Monastery of St. Aphrem the Syrian in Ma'arrat Syednaya, Damascus, Syria, on 4 January, 2004 with the title Mor Titus Yeldho.

Born on 22 July 1970 , the son of Pathikkal P.M. Kuriakose and Elupparambil Sosamma, his schooling was at the Perumbavoor Ashram High School , after which he completed his M.A. in Economics from the U.C College , Aulway. On 5 September 1999 he was ordained as Ramban and on 26 September as Priest by His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I. He completed his Theological studies from, Patriarchal Seminary in Syria, Dayro of St. Markose, Mor Hananyo (Kurkmo Dayro/Dayr ez-Za`faran),  Ephrem, Glane, The Netherlands, Dayro d-Mor Ya`qub d-Sarug, Warburg, Germany, Dayro d-Mor Awgen, Arth, Switzerland, Udayagiri Seminary in Kerala. During 1997-1999 he served as secretary to Patriarch Zakka in Damascus before being named as administrator in charge of the Malankara Archdiocese of North America.

New Head of Knanaya Diocese consecrated

On 15 January H.H. Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas consecrated Ramban Edavazhikkal Kuriakose as the fourth Metropolitan of the Knanaya diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church at Monastery of St. The new bishop was given the name Mor Severios. With the consecration, the Malankara Church now has 16 bishops.

Father Kuriakose Edavazhikkal, alias Roy Achan, succeeds the Great Metropolitan of the East, Mor Abraham Clemis, who died on 29 September 2002 after an episcopate of fifty-one years (see Glastonbury Review 107, pages 226-227). Estimated at 100,000 faithful, the Knanaya Christians (sometimes called “Southists”) are an endogamous community, which traces its origins to a Mesopotamian colony of 72 Jewish Christian families who emigrated to India in 345.

Born into a family of priests on 21 May, 1959 , Mor Severios is of the same family as Bishop Ghevargheese Mor Sevarios, the first Metropolitan of the Knanaya Diocese. Among other distinguished members of the Edavazhikkal family is the celebrated church historian, E. M. Philip, the secretary to Malankara Metropolitan Pulikottil Joseph Mor Dionysius II. The new Metropolitanis the eldest of the seven children of Edavazhikkal Kunjavarachan and Mariamma of Kottayam. A post-graduate in History and English, he gained his theology degree from National University of Ireland Maynooth, and PG in the same subject from Pourasthya Vidya Peeth, Vadavathoor.

Ethiopian Church collapses

In January it was reported from Addis Ababa , that seven Ethiopians were killed when a 13th century church hewn out of rock caved in as tens of thousands of worshippers gathered for the festival of Saint Gabriel an Orthodox Christian saint.

The Mewa Tsadkan Gabriel church was among three of the first rock-hewn churches built by the pious 13th century Ethiopian King Lalibella.

Rescuers combed through the rubble in search of bodies trapped inside after the ceiling of the church in the northern Gondar region collapsed, as it was feared that many more may have been buried by rubble after the church caved in without warning. Providentially, most of the worshippers who attended the festival had been outside the church when the roof fell in. It was unclear how many may have been inside the cave-like structure when it collapsed.

Armenian Patriarch injured in road accident

Whilst participating in a pilgrimage organised by the youth of the community on 1 February, His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and all Turkey , and his entourage had a road accident on a mountain slope about five kilometres north of Antalya . On the way down the mountain, the breaks of the midibus in which the Patriarch and his entourage were travelling failed, and following a loss of control, it crashed into the side of the mountain. Fortunately, the vehicle stayed on the left side, as there was a precipice on the other side.

The other two midibuses carrying the rest of the group were not involved in the accident. The Patriarch was injured as well as the artist Manuel Citak, Luiz Bakar and one of the patriarchal
assistants Hovhannes Bayram. Slight injuries were sustained by Father Sahag Masalyan, Father John Whooley, Arlin Sahbaz, Arda Sari, Aris  Tepeli.

Being in a remote area, the security centre was informed by cell phone. In a matter of seconds, the Governor of Antalya and the Minister of the Interior of the Turkish Republic called the Patriarch to wish him a quick recovery and informed the gendarmerie and the health department to take immediate action. In only twenty minutes, the gendarmerie and three ambulances reached the site of the accident. All the injured were transferred to the Akdeniz Foundation Hospital in Antalya where a group of medical experts were waiting, having been informed by Interior Ministry. On arrival, the injured were taken immediately to the Emergency Unit and the necessary medical examinations were carried out.

As a result, it was discovered that the Patriarch's nose had been broken and that there was a three centimetre tear in the nasopharingeal area. His right leg sustained a multiple fracture of  the tibia. Necessary emergency treatment was given to him and to the other injured persons. The following morning, all the injured, except attorney Luiz Bakar whose injuries were such as to prevent immediate travel, were flown to Istanbul, three of them including the Patriarch being on stretchers. All were admitted to the Holy Saviour Armenian Hospital in Yedikule, Istanbul .

Messages and good wishes were received from church leaders worldwide, ambassadors and diplomats as well as government and civic leaders. His All-Holiness Bartholomeos I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, twice visited Patriarch Mesrob, and presented him with a holy icon of St. Panteleimon, the physician who was martyred during the Diocletian persecution.

Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Theological Dialogue

The International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches met in Cairo from 27-30 January 2004 under the co-chairmanship of His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy of Damiette, General Secretary of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

The sessions were held at St. Mark's Centre, Nasr City . On 28 January, during his weekly Wednesday lecture, the participants were publicly welcomed by Pope Shenouda in St. Mark's Cathedral, Cairo . The first part of the meeting was spent considering the numerous studies and reports of meetings which have taken place between the two churches in the past three decades .In the second part the Workplan and Agenda for the Dialogue as established by the Preparatory Committee Report were considered. It was decided that the next meeting will deal with the first part of ecclesiology ‘Church as communion' (items 1-6 and 8). Item 7 of the first part of ecclesiology (Oriental Churches in communion with Rome , their ecclesial and canonical implications) will be studied in a later stage. From each side, one paper will be prepared on the following topics: (a) Understanding of communion, Constitutive elements of communion; (b) Particular and universal communion; Meaning of sister churches and of church families; (c) Full communion and degrees of communion; Common ecumenical goal.

The next meeting will be held in Rome from 25-30 January 2005.

Schismatic Armenians lose appeal

On 21 January, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation rejected an appeal by Ghazaros Kyureghian, the deposed former Archbishop Tiran, against the 2003 decision of the Moscow Municipal Court. This found that the organization known as the “Armenian Apostolic Church of Moscow” cannot be registered as an independent religious entity as it violates the constitution of the Armenian Apostolic Church , as well as contradicts legislative requirements regarding freedom of conscience and religious organizations. The only canonical Armenian entity in the Russian Federation is the Armenian Diocese of Russia and New Nakhijevan under His Grace Bishop Yezras Nersissian, its Primate.

Eritrean Orthodox Church elects its third Patriarch

Following a request by the church of Eritrea and according to the Protocol between the two churches HH Pope Shenouda III sent a Coptic Delegation consisting of His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy, the General Secretary of the Holy Synod, and the Eritrean Monk Fr. Bijimi El Anba Bishoy to attend the Election of the new Eritrean Patriarch following the death of the Patriarch Abune Yacoub in December 2003.

At a meeting of the Holy Synod on 5 March, the results of Popular Formal Elections which took place on 2 March and resulted in Bishop Antonios receiving the highest share of votes followed by Bishop Kyrollos. A secret vote was also held in the presence of the Coptic delegate and Bishop Antonios unanimously won the votes of members of the Holy Synod. This assured the acceptance of the Holy Synod for the results of the Popular Elections and their accordance with each other.

Bishop Kyrollos pointed out that Bishop Antonios had been the first from among the five Eritrean Bishops that the Pope had laid hands on as a first step to create a Holy Synod for Eritrea . Metropolitan Bishoy presented a Coptic Handcross to the Patriarch-elect congratulating him for his election to be the third Patriarch to the church of Eritrea .

President Isaias Afewerki decided to personally visit the Patriarchate to congratulate the elected Patriarch and meet with the Coptic Delegation and the Eritrean Holy Synod.

On Sunday 7 March, a banquet was attended by the Patriarch-elect and the rest of members of the Holy Synod to honour the Coptic delegation. Abune Antonios made a speech in which he charged the Coptic delegation to kiss the hand of Pope Shenouda on behalf of every member of the Eritrean Holy Synod. He also said that everyone mentioned the Pope in their liturgical prayers not only as the Father of the Church of Eritrea but as a personal father for every one of them.

Patriarch Antonios was born on 12 July 1927 in the town of Hembrti , to the north of Asmara in the province of Hamasien . His father, Ghabre-Medhin Debre Sion was a priest, and his mother was called Elen Keleta. At the age of five he was sent to the monastery of Debre Tsege Abuna Andrewes to be educated for the service of the church and at the age of twelve was ordained deacon by Abune Marcos, Bishop of Eritrea. In 1942 he was professed as a monk at Debre Tsege and ordained priest with the name of Abba Yeamane-Berhan. He served in a number of offices in the monastery until he was elected as abbot in 1955. When Eritrea became independent and a separate Eritrean Orthodox Church was canonically erected, he was ordained as Bishop for his home province of Hamasien on 19 June 1994 at the hands of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. At the death of Patriarch Yacoub in December 2003 he was elected as Patriarchal locum tenens .

Abune Antonios enthroned as Eritrean Patriarch

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, accompanied by Coptic metropolitans and bishops, travelled to Asmara on 23 April for the consecration and enthronement of the new Patriarch. After meetings with the Holy Synod of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and reception hosted by President Isaias Afewerki, the ceremony took place in the Holy Virgin's Cathedral in Asmara on Sunday, 25 April. Following his consecration, investiture with the pontifical regalia and his enthronement, the Pope left the new Patriarch to celebrate the Divine Liturgy.

A banquet was held later at the Patriarchate at which the Pope and Patriarch were again joined by President Aferwerki.

Four new Eritrean Bishops

On Pentecost Sunday, Abune Antonios, Patriarch of Eritrea, consecrated four new General Bishops: Matthew (formerly abbot of St. Mary's monastery at Dbarwa, in the south of Asmara , Petros (formerly abbot of Debra Sina), Lukas (formerly administrative assistant to Bishop Kyrillos) and Sinouda (formerly serving in Rome ).

Fire destroys Indian Orthodox Church near Melbourne 

Fire has devastated Victoria 's only Indian Orthodox Christian church building. Fire fighters were called to the blaze in the early hours of a Sunday morning, but the church interior was burnt beyond repair and all its contents destroyed.

For the small Indian Orthodox community in Melbourne this is a heavy blow. Although its resources are meagre, the church had just completed a project to build a parish hall and parsonage, based on the financial commitments of its small membership. It had taken the community 15 years before the church building could be bought from the Anglicans in 1994.

Firefighters suspect the fire was deliberately lit. Police are carrying out investigations. Fr. M. D. Varghese said that the congregation was still in shock. “We are a close knit community that has built this church from scratch. We have made Australia our home, and have been proud citizens of the local Coburg community. It is hard to understand why anyone would do this. For us now, we will use this time to bond together even stronger than before, knowing that our Lord is watching over us.”

Donations to the Rebuilding Fund can be sent to: Rev.Fr.M.D. Varghese, St. Mary's India Orthodox Church, 118-122 Nicholson Street, East Coburg, Victoria-3058, Australia.

Tel:+61-3-93837944Email. frmdv@yahoo.com

New Malankara Bishops

Four new Bishops for the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Clergy Trustee were recently elected at a meeting of the Malankara Syrian Christian Association (MSCA) held at Parumala in accordance with the 1934 constitution of the Church.

Fathers Augen Ramban, K. J. Gabriel, Yuhanon Ramban and M. C. Cherian (General Secretary of the Mar Gregorios Orthodox Christian Student Movement) are the priests who have been elected as the new Bishops. All the newly-elected Bishops belonged to the official panel prepared by the managing committee of the Church.

The town of Parumala was flooded with representatives and members of the Church from different dioceses in the country and abroad in view of the election of new bishops for the Church. The Malankara Metropolitan and the Catholicos of the East, Moran Mor Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews II, who is also the MSCA president, and other metropolitans were escorted to the venue. The election of Bishops was held on the basis of single non-transferable vote and that of the Clergy Trustee through preferential secret ballot. A total of 18 candidates, including seven priests nominated by the 171-member Church Managing Committee, contested the election.

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