Catholicose Baselius Paulose II on a three day visit to the Sultanate of Oman
22/9/2012
The Indian Malankara Orthodox Church
Liju Cherian
Visit from 27 – 29th of September.
Visit coincides with 40th anniversary of Muscat Mar Gregorios Maha Edavaka and Catholicate centenary
MUSCAT: His Holiness Moran Mar Baselious Marthoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, Primate of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church , begins a three-day visit to the Sultanate of Oman from September 27-29.
This will be the second visit of the Supreme head of Indian (Malankara) Orthodox to the Sultanate. HH had earlier visited in March 2011 during which he also visited the Salalah St Stephen’s Orthodox Church.
HH will be the guest of the St Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edvaka where he will take part in the 40th celebrations of the church and also the 1960 years of the Holy Church and Centenary of Catholicate in India (1912-2012).
HG Pulikkottil Dr Geevarghese Mar Yulios, Metropolitan of Ahmedabad Diocese, (under which churches in Sultanate falls) is in Muscat to prepare the ground for this important visit.
His Holiness arrives on September 27, Thursday morning from Kerala. Upon arrival at the Maha Edavaka, the Catholicos will inaugurate a photo exhibition on “Catholicate through the ages” at 11 pm. Later he will address the local media at a press conference at the same venue.
In the evening at 7 pm, His Holiness will lead a procession to St Thomas Church for the public meeting. The meeting will be attended by HE J S Mukul, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate along with other distinguished officials. Vicars of Marthoma Church in Oman, CSI have also been invited.
Veteran members of the church who have completed 40 years as members will be honoured with a ponnada (a golden shawl presented to a person as an honour). A souvenir is also being brought out to mark the occasion.
On September 28, Friday, the Catholicos will lead a tri-mass at St Thomas Church from 6 am. Later in the evening, there will a devotional musical programme by the Sruti School of Liturgical Music, Kottayam. The Catholicos leaves for Kerala on the morning of September 28.
The 40th anniversary celebrations of the Maha Edavaka were formally kicked off with the unveiling of a logo titled “Celebrating Glorious 40 years” (1972-2012) on September 7 by Very Rev Kochuparambil Geevarghese (Ramban) of Kandanad East Diocese.
On September 14, the Youth Movement wing of the church hosted a symposium on Catholicate Centenary with its theme on “Throne of Catholicate in Malankara and its Future Vision.”
On September 21, Diocese Metropolitan HG Dr Geevarghese Mar Yulios hoisted the Catholicate Flag at the parsonage of the Maha Edavaka.
Rev Fr Joji George Koickalethu, President/Vicar of St Gregorios Orthodox Maha Edvaka, has requested the faithful to attend the meetings in large numbers.
The Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church was founded by St Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, who came to India in AD 52.
At least from the fourth century the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with the Persian or East Syrian Church. From the Persians, the Indians inherited East Syrian language and liturgies and gradually came to be known as Syrian Christians.
In the sixteenth century Roman Catholic missionaries came to Kerala. They tried to unite the Syrian Christians to the Roman Catholic Church and this led to a split in the community. Those who accepted Catholicism are the present Syro-Malabar Catholics. Later Western Protestant missionaries came to Kerala and worked among Syrian Christians which also created certain splits in the community.
In the seventeenth century the Church came to a relationship with the Syrian Orthodox Church which again caused splits. As a result of this relationship the Church received West Syrian liturgies and practices.
The Church entered into a new phase of its history by the establishment of the Catholicate in 1912. At present the Church is using the West Syrian liturgy. The faith of the Church is that which was established by the three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (AD 325), Constantinople (AD 381) and Ephesus (AD 431).
The Church is in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches namely, Syrian, Coptic, Armenian, Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. The Church is in good ecumenical relationship with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.
At present the Church has over 2 million faithful with 31 dioceses all over the world and headquartered at Kottayam in Kerala.
The schedule for Catholicos:
September 27 (Thursday):
9.00 am: Arrival at Muscat International Airport from Kochi
10.00 am: Arrival at St Gregorios Maha Edavaka and reception
11.00 am: Inauguration of a photo exhibition
11.30 am: Press conference with local media
6.30: Evening Prayers
7.00 pm: Procession and public meeting at St Thomas Church
September 28 (Friday):
6.50 am: HH to lead tri-mass at St Thomas Church
7 pm: Devotional orchestra by “Shruti” Kottayam and Melody Music Centre
September 29: (Saturday): Departure for Kerala
Source:
Liju Cherian
