Geevarghese Ivanios

On the far right Mar Ivanios, Benziger (front left) with other Indian bishops

Family history, childhood and education

Geevarghese Panicker was born in Mavelikkara, Kerala, India, on 21 September 1882 to Thomas Panicker and Annamma Panicker, a descendant of the aristocratic tharavad of Panickervettil in Mavelikara within the erst-while Indian princely state of Travancore currently in the Alappuzha district of Kerala.

The Panickervettil family were honoured with the title of 'Mylitta Panicker' bestowed upon by the Maharaja of Travancore Marthanda Varma, Travancore Royal Family. Panicker's family lineage also include him being grandson of the aristocratic Saint Thomas Christian family Polachirackal with their tharavad in Mavelikkara. The Polachirackal House held the highest-ranking hereditary title for a Christian family in Travancore being of nobility titled as Tharakan and were of the highest ranking Christian peer to the Maharaja of Travancore. The Polachirackal House through the Saint Thomas Christian Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is acknowledged by Pope Pius XI and continues to do so by the Holy See of the Vatican City as one of the oldest Saint Thomas Christian families. The House had evolved from accumulating one of the largest wealth through merchant trading from their oligopoly in black pepper commodity trading as part of the spice trade controlled by the Dutch East India during the age of discovery between the 16th and 18th centuries. The House's excessive wealth allowed them to become the court financiers to Marthanda Varma and financed the Kingdom of Venad during the Travancore–Dutch War in the 18th century against the Dutch East India Company. This culminated in funding the Battle of Colachel in 1741 leading to Marthanda Varma defeating of the Dutch East India Company which was the first loss of its kind by a European naval super-power in the Indian sub-continent. The House were signatories to the Treaty of Mavelikkara in 1753 contributing to the establishment of the Kingdom of Travancore, diminishing the role of the Dutch East India Company in the Indian subcontinent and leading to the rise of the Maharaja of Travancore Marthanda Varma and the Travancore Royal Family. Panicker had his early education in Protestant and government schools. From 1897 he attended M. D. Seminary High School, Kottayam. In 1899 he completed his matriculation education before which he received minor orders (of clerical life) on 20 September 1898.

Deacon

He was ordained deacon by Pulikkottil Mar Dionysius then the Metropolitan of Malankara Syrian Jacobite Church on 9 January 1900, he then continued his studies at CMS College, Kottayam and obtained a bachelor's degree in Economics and Indian History from Madras Christian College. In 1907 he took a Master's Degree (MA) with distinction from the same college. On his return from Madras he was appointed principal of his Alma Mater, M.D.Seminary High School. During this time he led various schemes for the renewal of the Malankara Church. He organized basic church communities, commenced Bible conventions, because of this he was popularly entitled "Koodasa Semmasan" (Deacon of Sacraments).

Priestly life

He was ordained to the priesthood as P.T. Geevarghese on 15 September 1908 by Vattasseril Mar Dionysius then the Metropolitan of Malankara Church. Geevarghese was popularly known as M A Achan, as he was the first priest with an MA degree in Malankara. At the same time he took the initiative to empower the Malankara Syrian Jacobite Church with hierarchical autonomy. He became instrumental to erect Catholicate for the Malankara Church on 5 September 1912.After the establishment of Catholicate in 1912 Malankara Syrian Jacobite Church divided into two, one under the leadership of Metropolitan Vatteseril Mar Dionysius(bishop's party) and one under Anthiochan Jacobite Patriarch(Bava Party).Later the bishop's party named as Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Fr.P.T Geevarghese was belonging to this party.

Professorship in Serampore

In 1912 Vattasseril Mar Dionysius received an invitation to attend a conference at Calcutta. Mar Dionysius selected Fr. Geevarghese to accompany him to Calcutta to attend the conference. At the conference they met Dr. Howels the principal of Serampore College who requested the Metropolitan to avail the service of Geevarghese as the professor of the College. The Metropolitan permitted Geevarghese to take up the task. He made use of this opportunity to educate the Malankara Youth. About 20 young people from Kerala reached Calcutta for higher education.

At Serampore Geevarghese got more time for prayer and contemplation. He came across the writings of St. Basil on monasticism. Basilian monastic vision had a great influence on him. Besides the visits to the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi and Santiniketan of Rabindranath Tagore gave him a new vision of Indian Sanyasa (monasticism). These experiences made him to reflect upon starting an order of missionaries to carry out the task of evangelization in India. Slowly the residence of Geevarghese and his followers at Serampore became an Ashram (Monastery), and they began to live a sort of religious life according to the monastic rules of St. Basil, adapting them to Indian culture. As he accepted this as his way of life, he resigned from the Serampore College.

Foundation of the Bethany Ashram

On his return from Calcutta, Geevarghese looked for a location to establish an ashram. One of his friends E. John Vakeel donated 100 acres (400,000 m²) of land at Mundanmala, Ranni-Perunadu, Kerala at the meeting place of the rivers Pampa and Kakkatt. The place was thickly filled with thorny bushes and herbs. Geevarghese and his followers built a small thatched hut made out of the branches of trees and bamboo. This turned to be the first Ashram in Malankara on 15 August 1919. He prayerfully searched for a name for the Ashram and opened the Bible and he got the word "Bethany". He meditated upon it and came to the conclusion that it is an apt name for a religious order which upholds both contemplation and action. Eventually the Bethany Ashram became a place of pilgrimage and spiritual experience. Spiritual retreats and discourses were given by Geevarghese especially in the Passion Week. Geevarghese envisioned the Ashram also being a shelter for the poor and the marginalised. Along with the Ashram he started a house for the orphans.

While at Serampore Geevarghese was thinking of the empowerment of the Syrian Christian women through education. To realize this idea, he took initiative to give education and training to the selected group of young girls with the help of the Epiphany Sisters of England working at Serampore. He founded the Bethany Madom (convent) for the women religious in 1925.

Bishop of Bethany

It was decided by the Malankara Synod to ordain P.T. Geevarghese as the Bishop of Bethany. He was ordained a bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church by Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese I on 1 May 1925. He received the name Geevarghese Mar Ivanios. After the consecration there was a meeting to congratulate Ivanios. In this meeting Mar Ivanios expressed our forefathers' desire, to solve the disputes among the malankara church, it might come one flock under one shepherd.In 1926 a synod(bishop's party) was held in parumala under the leadership Baselios Geevarghese 1st Catholicos, for the reunion with the Holy, One, Universal Catholic Church Of the Holy see in Rome. The synod decided Bishop of Bethany Mar Ivanios for the reunion process. In the meantime the civil court's decision on the litigation for a large sum of money (Vattippanam) was declared in favour of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church(bishop's party). Then Bishops, except Bishops of Bethany Mar Ivanios and Mar Theophilos, had stepped out from reunion with the Holy See.

Ecclesial communion

On 20 September 1930 by this cruel betrayal of Orthodox Church Bishops, Mar Ivanios, with Mar Theophilos, the suffragan bishop of Bethany, Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC, Dn.Alexander Attupurath OIC and Layman Chacko Kiliyileth made the Catholic profession of faith before Bishop Aloysius Maria Benziger, OCD, then the Bishop of Kollam in Thangasseri Kollam Bishop's house. Many of the members of both the Bethany orders also came into full communion with Roman Catholic Church. Thus a new rite had come in the Universal Catholic Church, that is the Syro Malankara Catholic Church. Thus Mar Ivanios did a historical thing to bring back the non-Catholic marthoma Christians to be under one fold like that of 1st century to 16th centuries.

Establishment of the Syro-Malankara Catholic hierarchy

In 1932 Ivanios made a pilgrimage to Rome for the reunion as per the letters from Rome and met Pope Pius XI. Ivanios received the pallium. He also participated in the thirty-second Eucharistic Congress held at Dublin, Ireland. There he met G.K. Chesterton, who said to Ivanios "The dignified Indian gentleman, who represented this far off triumph in the Orient, had changed his neighbours by bringing them to the Roman Communion."

On his return from Rome, Ivanios made efforts to build up the Re-Union establishment of puthenkoor (New faction) of Malankara Saint Thomas Christian Community. Pope Pius XI re-established the Malankara hierarchy, Syro-Malankara Catholic on 11 June 1932 through the apostolic constitution Cristo pastorum principi.

Ecumenical endeavours and cultural development of the society

Ivanios sent missionaries to different parts of the land. Besides the newly joined Bishops and Priests from different Malankara denominations, he received missionaries from the Syro Malabar Church. Joseph Kuzhinjalil, the founder of the congregation of the Daughters of Mary, was a missionary appointed by Ivanios to work in the southern parts of the land. Under Ivanios's leadership about 75 priests were joined from different denominations of the Malankara Church. About 150 parishes including mission stations were established.

Ivanios established about 50 schools, and one 'A' grade college, named Mar Ivanios College. He visited U.S. President Harry S Truman, G.K. Chesterton, King George V of the United Kingdom, and George Bernard Shaw.

Silver Jubilee of Episcopal Ordination

The Silver Jubilee of the Episcopal Ordination of Ivanios was celebrated in 1951, and Pope Pius XII wrote to him remembering the reconciliation.

Death

Mar Ivanios left for his heavenly abode on 15 July 1953, and was entombed at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum.

Writings

Girideepam - Mountain Lamp, Trans. Sr. Rehmas SIC, Cause of Canonization of Mar Ivanios, Trivandrum, 2006.

The Sacrament of Confession: A Meditative Study, Trans. Fr. Samuel Thaikkoottathil Ramban, Cause of Canonization of Mar Ivanios, Trivandrum, 2006.

The Holy Qurbono: An Appraisal and Meditation, Trans. Dr. Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios (Antony Valiyavilayil OIC), Cause of Canonization of Mar Ivanios, Trivandrum, 2006.

The Liturgical Year: A Theological Reflection, Trans. Fr. Samuel Thaikkoottathil Ramban, Cause of Canonization of Mar Ivanios, Trivandrum, 2006.

A Guide to Malankara Religious Life, Trans. Fr. Samuel Thaikkoottathil Ramban, Cause of Canonization of Mar Ivanios, Trivandrum, 2006.

Servant of God

Mar Ivanios was declared Servant of God (Daivadasan) on 14 July 2007, the day prior to the 54th anniversary of his death. The proclamation was read by his 3rd successor Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos at St. Mary’s Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral in Trivandrum, India.