Geevarghese Mor Coorilose

Geevarghese Mor Coorilos
Metropolitan of Niranam, former Patriarchal Vicar of Malankara Congregations in the U.K and UAE, President of St. Paul's Mission of India, Moderator of Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME)of the World Council of Churches, Chairman and Founder of India center for Social Change (www.icsctheeram.org , Member of the Advisory Group on Economic Matters of the World Council of Churches; and Chairperson of the Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI)

Geevarghese Mor Coorilos Metropolitan
Church Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
See Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
In office 2006 — present
Predecessor Mor Markose Coorilos
Successor incumbent
Orders
Ordination 3 July 2006
Personal details
Born 1965
Nalunnakkal, Kerala
Previous post None

Metropolitan Geevarghese Mor Coorilos, formerly George Mathew Nalunnakkal, is a bishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church and as of 2014 the Metropolitan of Niranam.[1] Mor Coorilos is also serving Mor Adai Study Center as its working president, the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of World Council of Churches its Moderator, the Niranam diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church as its Metropolitan , the India Center for Social Change (Theeram centeres), a charitable organization for mentally challenged children and adults, as its Chairman and the Student Christian Movement of India ( SCMI ) as its Chairperson.

Early years

George Mathew Nalunnakkal was born in Nalunnakkal, Kottayam, Kerala in 1965. He was brought up in the Syriac Orthodox faith since his childhood and was baptized at St. Adai’s Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, Nalunnakkal, his home parish. His early schooling was done at St. Adai’s Primary School, St. Elias Upper Primary School, Nalunnakkal and Jerusalem Mount High School, Vakathanam, . He passed his SSLC exams with first class and joined St. Berchmans' College, Changanacherry where he did his Pre-Degree and B.A. in English literature. Alongside his secular education, he also pursued his Sunday School education. He stood first in the 10th standard examinations in Kottayam diocese and won the Michael Mor Divannasios memorial gold medal.

Parents

His parents are P.C. Mathew (Karippal Puthenpurayil, Rtd. Principal Sub Registrar, Kottayam) and Mrs. Marykutty Mathew. He has two brothers (Jacob Mathew, retired from RAW, Intelligence Bueraeu, Mumbai and Jaison Mathew, a civil Engineer in Kuwait) and four sisters (Kunjumariamma Thomas, Omana Korah, Lovely George and Mini Joshua). His home parish (St. Adais Jacobite Syrian Church, Nalunnakkal) is blessed by the Apostolic visit of the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of blessed memory and the present Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, the Prince Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.

Theological studies

Geevarghese Mor Coorilose

After his graduation, he joined the United Theological College, Bangalore for his theological studies. He completed his B.D in 1990 in first class and was appointed as Research Assistant in the department of Church and Society. Bishop Geevarghese Mor Gregorios (Perumpally Thirumeni) of blessed memory granted him permission to accept the offer and he completed the research project in 1991, the year in which he joined the faculty of the theological seminary in Kerala (M.S.O.T.Seminary). In 1992 he was offered a scholarship to do his doctoral studies in England and he joined the University of Kent at Canterbury, England to do his Ph.D in Ecotheology under Anglican Professor Robin Gill. On completing his Ph.D, he rejoined the theological seminary in Kerala and resumed teaching.

He served the Kerala Council of Churches as its senior faculty member (1997–1998), the National Council of Churches in India as its executive secretary for Mission and Evangelism (1998–2001). He now serves the World Council of Churches as moderator of its Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME). This is the second time he is serving the CWME as its Moderator. He was also a full member of the WCC’s reference group on Human Sexuality. Mor Coorilos was nominated by the W.C.C to its Advisory Group on Economic Matters. Currently Mor Coorilos also serves as a member of the Working Group of Global Christian Forum (GCF) that looks at the issue of proselytism and mission. Recently Mor Coorilos has been reelected as Chairperson of the Student Christian Movement of India ( SCMI) for the fourth consecutive term. He is also a member of the Advisory Group of Korean Institute of Future Ecumenism ( KIFE). Mor Coorilos serves as a member of the Theological Commission of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church that is engaged in bilateral dialogue with the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. He has attended several international consultations organized by the WCC, CCA, Pro-Oriente, WSCF, the Anglican Communion, the NCCI and other such ecumenical bodies.

In 2001 Mor Coorilos joined the teaching faculty of the United Theological College, Bangalore. He served the college as associate professor in the department of Theology and Ethics, the first member from the Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church. He has also taught at other seminaries as visiting professor.

Ordination

Mor Coorilos was ordained a deacon in 2001 and a priest in 2002 by Thomas Mor Themotheose Metropolitan. After his ordination, he served two parishes in Kerala and one parish in Bangalore as Assistant vicar. He also served the St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Church, Ithithanam, Kerala as its Vicar and St. Ignatious Church, Pallom (Kallooparambil Pally) as its Asst. Vicar.

India Center for Social Change

Geevarghese Mor Coorilose

As of 2014 Mor Coorilos was the chairman of Theeram, India Center for Social Change, a charitable trust that Mor Coorilos founded in 2002 which has been working for the welfare of mentally challenged children in Kerala . Under his leadership this institution has established thirteen vocational training and day care centers in various parts of Kerala and a full fledged residential centre in Puthuppally, Kottayam under the name “Theeram” {www.icsctheeram.org}, where about 225 mentally challenged boys and girls are being trained. Theeram has also started an old age home in the Tsunami-hit area of Alappadu in Karunagappally, Kerala.

Mor Adai Study Center

As of 2014 Metropolitan Coorilos was serving Mor Adai Study Center as its working president. He was the co-founder and the executive director since 2003 and when he was elevated to the position of metropolitan, he became the working president. Mor Adai Study Center has published 30 books that include 2 of his works.

Published works

Mor Coorilos has published several books and articles both in English and Malayalam. Most of them were published with his birth name, George Mathew Nalunnakkal before he became a bishop with the name Geevarghese Mor Coorilos. Following are some of the major ones:

Samantharalokangal Essays on Contemporary Socio-Political Issues, Malayalam), CSS, Tiruvalla, 2012.

OTHER ENGAGEMENTS

Mor Coorilos has voiced his concern over a number of issues that affect the survival and livelihood of the marginalised communities in India. His involvement in issues of social justice such as the land struggle of Dalits and Adivasis in Chengara, Arippa etc, Dalit Christians' s struggle for Reservation, movements for environmental justice like Vilappilsala, Moolampillil etc has been widely appreciated. He continues to be a strong prophetic voice both in Church and wider society.

References

  1. ↑ "Kerala's church feud - over 100 years and continuing". Times of India. October 12, 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2011.

Samantharalokangal (Essays on Contemporary Sociology-Political Issues, Malayalam) CSS, Tiruvalla, 2012.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Geevarghese Mor Coorilose.

Syriac Orthodox Church
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church

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