By IANS
Thiruvalla (Kerala) : Philipose Mar Chrysostum, metropolitan and supreme head of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar who entered the record books by becoming the longest serving bishop among all churches with Episcopal tradition in India on Aug 7 this year has decided to step down.
This announcement came as a surprise for the members present at the church’s general assembly, which began here Tuesday.
The 90-year-old church head read out his retirement plans from a written piece after he finished addressing the assembly, which in local language is known as ‘mandalam’.
On Aug 7, Chrysostum went past the record of Bishop Jerome of the Latin Catholic Church as the longest serving bishop among all churches with Episcopal tradition in India.
Bishop Jerome set the earlier record with his service for 19,799 days from Dec 12, 1937, to Feb 26, 1992.
Chrysostum was born in the Adangapurathu Kalamannil family of Eraviperoor near Thiruvalla. He was ordained a priest in 1944 and became bishop Mar Chrysostum on May 23, 1953.
He became the supreme head of the Mar Thoma Church on Oct 22, 1999, when the then metropolitan, Alexander Mar Thoma, opted for voluntary retirement.
It was for the first time in the history of the Mar Thoma Church, that the installation of a metropolitan was held in the presence of his predecessor.
Speaking to IANS, former Church Sabha secretary and Vicar General of the Mar Thoma Church, Rev A.C. Kurian said that till 1999 the rule of the church was that a new metropolitan could be ordained only after the death of the serving metropolitan.
“But a change was then made in the by laws of the church as the then supreme head wished to retire. And a clause was added that henceforth only if the serving metropolitan on his own decides to step down, it could be accepted and this paved the way for Chrysostum to step down,” said Kurian.
The new head of the church would now be Rev. Joseph Mar Irenaeus Suffragan, another veteran bishop. He is likely to be designated in October.