SERVANT OF GOD, HIS GRACE
MOST REV. GEEVARGHESE MAR IVANIOS OIC
Our Heavenly Patron
Fr. P.T Geevarghese Panickaruveetil OIC( Abo Geevarghese. The late Archbishop His Grace Mar Ivanios OIC), the founder of Bethany Ashram was born on 21st Sep. 1882 Mavelikkara. Born in the famous ’Millitta’ Panikkar family, belonging to the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, he assumed the baptismal name Geevarghese. Young Geevarghese, a brilliant student in his early school days, at the age of 15 joined M.D Seminary School for high school studies on April 20, 1898 he received Minor Orders and was sent to Madras Christian College for higher studies. There he obtained his Masters degree and thereafter he was know as “M.A Achen”. On Sept.15, 1908 Geevarghese was ordained a priest by His Grace Vattasseril Mar Divannsios (Dionysius).Just after the ordination, Fr. P.T Geevargese was appointed principal of M.D. Seminary, Kottayam, Later the young principal moved to Calcutta, accepting an invitation to teach in the Serampore college.
During his stay at Kolkatta Fr. P.T Geevargese, concentrated on the foundation of monastic community as an instrument of spiritual renewal within the Syrian Orthodox Church. In his attempt he was very well inspired by both the Christian and Hindu monastic traditions, He lived for a while in ‘Sabarmathi’ with Mahatma Gandhi and in ‘Shanthinikethan’ with Rabindranth Tagore and was so much taken up with the Indian spirituality that these great ones practised. After making the necessary arrangements to begin such an austere life, he resigned his professorship at Serampore and started the first Christian religious community in the Malankara Church on August 15, 1919 at Mundanmala, Perunnad-Ranni, Kerala to which he gave the name Bethany Ashram, which is officially known as Order of the Imitation of Christ (OIC).
Within no time Bethany Ashram and its beloved founder came to the limelight of Malankara Syruan Orthodox Church and Abo Geevarghese OIC was consecrated Bishop of Bethany on May 01, 1925,and he received the new name mar Ivanios OIC. His relentless search for truth in the ascetical atmosphere of Bethany Ashram led him to the firm conviction to reunite with the Catholic Church. And thus, on Sept.20, 1930 mar Ivanios OIC together with Mar Theophilos OIC, the first Guru of Bethany Ashram, came into the Catholic Communion.
As later history reveals, the Reunion Movement gained momentum under the leadership of Mar Ivanios OIC and he rightfully earned the title ‘Newman of the East’ even before his demise on July 15,1953. His mortal remains was entombed at St, Mary’s Cathedral Thiruvananthapruam.
MAR IVANIOS: THE FATHER OF THE MALANKARA CHURCH
Introduction
God brought together Israel through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He led the people of Israel through Moses, Aaron and Joshua. He pastured them through the Judges, Prophets and Kings. Through His own Son, God saved His People. Jesus entrusted the New Israel, the New People of God, the Church, to the Apostles. The successors of the Apostles continued to nourish the Church. They are recognized as the Fathers in faith, Fathers of the Church. The Church commemorates them in its worship or liturgy. They are in turn the intercessors for the Church before God. In the fifth Thubden of the Holy Qurbono we pray: “We commemorate the four venerable and holy Ecumenical Councils of Nicea, Constantinople, Ephesus and Chalcedon and likewise the other holy, ecumenical councils and the illustrious and God-inspired fathers and revered Doctors present at them. We remember James, the holy apostle and martyr, the first bishop of Jerusalem, Ignatius, Clement, Dionysius, Athanasius, Julius, Basil, Gregory, Eusthathius, Theophilus, John and Cyril, who was a high tower of truth and who expounded the incarnation of the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made flesh. Again we remember our fathers Mar Ephrem, Mar Jacob, Mar Isaac, Mar Simeon the Stylite, and the chosen Mar Abhai and all those before them and with them and after them, who kept the one true faith without corruption and delivered it to us.”
Like the great Fathers of the Church, Archbishop Mar Ivanios is a Father of the Church of the modern times. This lesson aims to study the life of Mar Ivanios from this particular perspective.
The Historical Milieu of Mar Ivanios
The Indian Church is fortunate to have received the deposit of Christian faith from St. Thomas, the Apostles of Jesus. This faith got rooted in India. As history tells us, the apostolic Church was in communion with the one, apostolic, catholic, holy Church of Christ through out the universe through their immediate communion with the Church of Persia and the Syriac speaking world. The coming of the Western colonial powers, especially the Portuguese, resulted in the latinization of the Indian Church. In 1653 with the Oath of Koonankurisu, those who declared their dissatisfaction over Latinisation freed themselves from the Latin Bishops and their jurisdiction. It led to the division of the Christians into two groups, namely, the Puthenkoottukar and Pazhayakoottukar. The former formed an independent church and the latter remained under the Latin Bishops. Later the Puthenkoottukar entered into communion with the Jacobite Patirarch of Antioch. There were several attempts to reunite them with the Catholic Church. But none of them bore fruit due to various reasons.
The Life of Mar Ivanios
It was at this time that Geevarghese, later known as Mar Ivanios, was born in the family of Panikaruveettil at Mavelikara on 21st September 1882 as the Son of Thomas Panikar and Annamma. The dedicated parents brought up the child in Christian piety and ecclesial life. From his childhood, he had shown an extraordinary inclination for a fervent spiritual life. After completing his primary schooling in 1897, at the age of 15, he began his high school studies. As he had an ardent desire to become a priest, he joined the MD Seminary. He completed his high school studies in 1899. On 9.1.1900 he was ordained deacon at Puthencavu. He was then sent to Madras Christian College. He obtained his Master’s degree in 1907. He was ordained priest on 15th September 1908. Then he began his career as the principal of MD Seminary, Kottayam.
His active priestly ministry and zeal for souls awakened in him a quest to renew the Malankara Church which was beset with rivalry, quest for power and spiritual decay. He embarked on plans for renewal movements within the Malankara Church. He set out plans to give a heirarchichal perfection to the church. He was instrumental in installing a Catholicus for the Malankara Church on 5th Sept. 1912 . It was at this time that he was called to take up professorship in Serampore College in Calcutta. His love for his Church cut a deep pain in him as it would mean to be away from the main stream of the Church. But the spirit of the Lord led him to Serampore. His life at Serampore (1913-1919) saw the metamorphosis of his life. He was exposed to the spirituality of the Christian East, especially St. Basil and other Christian denominations. He used to visit Rabindranath Tagore’s Santhiniketan. He frequented the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Thus he could fathom the Christian spirituality and touch the soul of Indian spiritual traditions. His experiments with truth, and his vast experience evolved him into a yogi. He was convinced that a renewal of the Malankara Church was dependent on an inner spiritual renewal of the Church. He founded the Order of the Imitation of Christ or Bethany Ashram at Mundanmala, Perunadu, Ranni on 15 August 1919. Through his life he taught his followers that Christian and religious perfection consist in imitating Christ in his life of prayer and action. In 1925 he founded the Bethany Convent for the women religious. Bethany Ashram became a source of spiritual strength for the Malankara Church.
Bethany was an autonomous body in the Malankara Church. Hence Mar Ivanios was elected to be its Bishop. He was ordained a Ramban at Thirumoolapuram on 18 January 1925 and later consecrated Bishop of Bethany at Niranam on 1 May 1925. As a prelude to his consecration, he was asked to sign a document condemning the Pope and the Council of Chalcedon. He refused to do so, as he was convinced of the true teachings of the Church. In spite of this refusal he was consecrated a Bishop. This is a clear indication of his doctrinal integrity and his standing in the Church. In 1926 the Synod of the Malankara Church that met at Parumala appointed Mar Ivanios to open negotiations with Rome for the communion of the Malankara Church with the Catholic Church. However, the Synod backtracked from its decision later. But Mar Ivanios would not give up the truth. He left Mundanmala with his followers, stayed at Vennikulam. On 20th Septermber 1930 he came into communion with the Catholic Church by making his profession of faith before Bishop Benziger of Kollam, who was delegated by Pope Pius XI.
Thereafter, he dedicated his whole life for the budding Malankara Catholic Church. He visited the Pope in Rome. He was also in constant communication with the Catholic Church at large travelling far and wide. He went to his eternal reward on 15 July 1953. His mortal remains are entombed in St. Mary’s Metropolitan Church, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram. He bequeathed to the Malankara Catholic Church his vision and mission as her patrimony.
Mar Ivanios – A Father of the Church
Mar Ivanios is the Father of the Malankara Catholic Church. After St. Thomas the Apostle, a person of reckoning in the history of the Indian Church is Mar Ivanios. He is a father of this Church as he is a man of God experience, a sanyasi, a yogi. He is the father of religious life in the Malankara Church. He was a great teacher and theologian. Like Moses who led the Israelites to the promised land he led the Malankara Church to communion with the universal Church. He pastured this Church as did saints Peter and Paul the chief apostles pastured the early church. He is a father of the Church in the history of the Church of the modern period
Mar Ivanios – A Saint
Mar Ivanios is an inspiration to thousands of people who are touched by his saintly life. He is a man chosen by God ‘from the womb of his mother’. His life is a testimony of this divine election. He was a mystic in God experience. His conviction that the experience of God is worthier than the service of God made him a sanyasi. He shared this charism with others by founding the religious communities of Bethany Ashram and Bethany Convent. It expressed itself in the ecclesial communion movement and the foundation of the Malankara Catholic Church. The growth of the Malankara Catholic Church is the sign and miracle the Lord gives to his people through Mar Ivanios.
From 15th July 1953, the day Mar Ivanios bade farewell to this world and went for his eternal reward, he lives among the people as a saint who sheds the fragrance of holiness all around. Those who took refuge in his intercession testify to the favours they have received from the Lord. The fame of his intercessory powers has spread far and wide. Pilgrims flock to his tomb in prayer. The annual padayatra in conjunction with his Ormaperunal is a source of blessing for many. The process to canonise him as a saint in the Church is progressing.
Mar Ivanios – A Saint
Mar Ivanios is a towering personality that the Indian Church has seen ever after St. Thomas, the apostle of India. His life is an inspiration. His teachings have laid the foundation of a faith experience. We have regained the deposit of true apostolic faith through him. It is our obligation to fulfil his vision as a true Malankara Catholic. He is our Father in faith and ecclesial communion. As we are in the 50th year of his demise, it is a time for introspection and renewal for us. His intercession is a stronghold for our personal and ecclesial life.