Yuhanon Mar Meletius

Childhood

Yuhanon Mor Meletius was born on 4 July 1954, the first-born child of Mr. M.J. Markose, a farmer and a social worker, and Saramma Markose in Ezhakaranad, Ernakulam district, Kerala. He was named Rajan. His siblings are Loosy Kuriachan Mangalathu, Jose Markose Murimakil, and Santhosh Markose Murimakil.

Education

Mor Meletius was schooled in Ezhakaranad Government Upper Primary School and Maneed Government High School. He did his PDC and BA in Malayalam language and literature at St. Peter's College Kolenchery. He took his Bachelor of Divinity [BD] and Master of Theology [MTh] in Old Testament from United Theological College, Bangalore. He took his second Master of Theology [ThM] and PhD Qualifying (Old Testament) from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He submitted his PhD paper to Dharmaram Vidyashektram, Bangalore. Earlier (1985), he studied Syriac at St Aphrem’s Seminary, Damascus, Syria

Priesthood and career

He was ordained as Deacon on 31 January 1973 by H.G. Paulose Mar Philexinos, Metropolitan of Kandanadu diocese.He was ordained as a Priest on 23 May 1986 by Catholicos H. B. Baselius Paulose II of the Malankara Church (Jacobite Faction). His ordination as monk was on 22 December 1990 as a Metropolitan on 23 December 1990 by H. H. Ignatius Zaka I, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrian Orthodox Church. He was given the charge of Thrissur Diocese. Following the Supreme Court order on the Malankara Church issue, to get both the warring groups in the Church, Mor Meletios was one of the three Bishops from the Patriarch faction who accepted the court verdict and united his community with the other group in the Church.

He was a teacher at St. Aprem Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary, Damascus for one year. He was a teacher at MSOT Seminary, Malelcruz. He was a teacher at MSOT Seminary, Vettickal, Mulanthuruthy. Parishes in which he served as vicar are St.Mary's Church, Valamboor, St. Ignatius Church, Dallas, TX, USA. He was the President SOYA for 5 years. He was a member of NCCI, CASA National Board, CASA South Region and President of OCYM.

In 2007 December, he was involved in the consecration of rebel monk of Syriac Orthodox Church Ramban Moosa Gurgan as Moosa Gurgan Mar Severios. The consecration ceremony was performed by Yuhanon Mar Meletius of Thrissur diocese and Dr.Thomas Mar Athanasios of Kandanad East Diocese of Malankara Orthodox Church and assisted by Late Thomas Mar Makarios.

As a deacon, priest and a bishop Mor Meletius travelled to Turkey, USA, Canada, Vatican, Italy, UK, Sweden, Rumania, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Sri Lanka, Samoa, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, and Gulf countries. As of 2013 He lives in Gedseemon Bishop's House, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala, India (Tel. +91-487-2371039.

Publications

He published Four Books: Verukal Thedi (In Search of Roots – travelogue); Swathantryavum Swayam Paryapthathayum [Freedom and Self Sufficiency]; Manavikathayude Kazhchappadukal [Visions of Humanism]; Christava Samipanam Visakalanavum Vichithananvum (Christian Approach: Analysis and Evaluation]. He also published several articles in periodicals including Malankara Sabha, Sastra Gathi, Samakalika Malayalam, and New Vision.